Malicious Code Injection in cultural_skink-silentdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-101143: Malicious code in cultural_skink-silentdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The cultural_skink-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 linked to a series of malicious packages flooding the npm registry. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the presence of malicious code within the cultural_skink-silentdev package. This code modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names, which leads to the continuous republishing of these variants. The origin of this issue is tied to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which aims to inflate developer reputation scores by polluting the npm registry with derivative packages. The ramifications include potential security risks for applications using this package, as well as contributing to the degradation of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall cultural_skink-silentdevIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can temporarily avoid using the cultural_skink-silentdev package by replacing it with a similar, trusted package until a secure version is available. Always verify the integrity of packages before installation.
Conclusion
The cultural_skink-silentdev package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to applications using it. It is crucial to uninstall this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your projects.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been identified as malicious.
The vulnerability can lead to security risks, including unauthorized modifications to your package.json file and potential exposure to malicious code.
You should uninstall the cultural_skink-silentdev package immediately and check your project for any unauthorized changes.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for 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.
