Malicious Code Injection in cosmichunter: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-171073: Malicious code in cosmichunter (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
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
Background
The 'cosmichunter' package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. It is designed to facilitate the development and sharing of JavaScript libraries and applications. However, this package has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that exploits npm's publishing features to inflate developer reputation scores through the creation of derivative packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'cosmichunter' stems from its association with a malicious campaign that 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 these variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the integrity of other packages. The malicious payload is designed to exploit the npm ecosystem for token rewards, making it a significant threat to developers relying on npm for package management.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall cosmichunterIf 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 measure, avoid using the 'cosmichunter' package and consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. You can also monitor your package dependencies using tools like Vulert, which can alert you to vulnerabilities in real-time.
Conclusion
The 'cosmichunter' package poses a significant risk to npm users due to its malicious behavior aimed at manipulating the npm registry. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and utilize tools like Vulert to stay informed about vulnerabilities in your dependencies.
See every vulnerability recorded for cosmichunter →
FAQ
The 'cosmichunter' package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores.
This vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project's dependencies, potentially introducing malicious code.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
If you have installed 'cosmichunter', you should uninstall it immediately using 'npm uninstall cosmichunter' and review your other dependencies for potential vulnerabilities.
Yes, tools like Vulert can help monitor and alert you to open-source vulnerabilities in your software in real-time, using just your package-lock.json.
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
