Malicious Code Injection in controversial_bee-silentdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-100955: Malicious code in controversial_bee-silentdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The controversial_bee-silentdev package is part of the npm ecosystem, often used in various JavaScript applications. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with numerous packages. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to manipulate npm's publishing system, potentially affecting developers' reputations and the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a malicious campaign that includes scripts designed to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names. These scripts modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and continuously republish variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry. This can result in developers inadvertently using compromised packages, which may contain malicious code.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall controversial_bee-silentdevIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can avoid using the controversial_bee-silentdev package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The controversial_bee-silentdev package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code injection capabilities, which can compromise the security of applications using it. Developers are advised to remove the package and monitor for updates. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in identifying vulnerabilities in open-source dependencies.
See every vulnerability recorded for controversial_bee-silentdev →
FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a campaign to manipulate npm's publishing system for token rewards.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, compromising its security and integrity.
You should remove the package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches that may address the vulnerability.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without signing up.
