Malicious Code Injection in controversial_albatross_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93787: Malicious code in controversial_albatross_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The controversial_albatross_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. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of projects that depend on it.
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, polluting the npm registry and potentially affecting other packages and projects. The malicious scripts (auto.js, autopublish.js, autopublish2.js, autopublish3.js) are designed to automate this process, making it difficult for developers to track and manage their dependencies.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall controversial_albatross_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
Currently, the best workaround is to avoid using the controversial_albatross_z3n package altogether. If it is already in use, uninstall it immediately and monitor your dependencies for any other potentially malicious packages.
Conclusion
The controversial_albatross_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package configurations and pollutes the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies closely to maintain the integrity of their projects.
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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, removes private flags, and can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting other projects.
You should uninstall the controversial_albatross_z3n package immediately and check your dependencies for any other malicious packages.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
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