Malicious Code Injection in critical_ape_z3n: npm Package Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-101077: Malicious code in critical_ape_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The critical_ape_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 publishing of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious scripts that compromise its integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in critical_ape_z3n arises from the presence of malicious code 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 variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can potentially harm developers by inflating their reputation scores with illegitimate packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been flooding the npm registry with such malicious packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall critical_ape_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 prevent the installation of the critical_ape_z3n package by using npm's package-lock.json file to monitor dependencies. If you suspect that the package is already installed, you can remove it and avoid using any packages that depend on it until a fix is released.
Conclusion
The critical_ape_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor their dependencies for any vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in maintaining the security of your applications.
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FAQ
critical_ape_z3n is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publishing of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry with malicious packages, potentially harming your project's reputation and security.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall critical_ape_z3n' and monitor your dependencies for any further issues.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
