Malicious Code Injection in continued_dormouse_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-100933: Malicious code in continued_dormouse_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The continued_dormouse_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants that pollute the npm registry, potentially affecting other developers and users by inflating the number of packages and degrading the quality of the registry.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall continued_dormouse_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can avoid using the continued_dormouse_z3n package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The continued_dormouse_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their applications.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file and can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, impacting your project's dependencies and reputation.
You should remove the continued_dormouse_z3n package from your project immediately and check for any dependencies that may have been affected.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
