Malicious Code Injection in darrin-tea-archive: npm Package Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-101214: Malicious code in darrin-tea-archive (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 darrin-tea-archive package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign that has recently infiltrated the npm ecosystem. This package is designed to facilitate token rewards through the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious scripts that compromise its integrity and the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the presence of malicious code within the darrin-tea-archive package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the pollution of the npm registry. The malicious payload is designed to inflate developer reputation scores for the tea protocol token rewards, posing significant risks to developers and users relying on the integrity of npm packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall darrin-tea-archiveIf 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 darrin-tea-archive package and monitor your project for any dependencies that may inadvertently include it. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The darrin-tea-archive package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your project for any vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for darrin-tea-archive →
FAQ
The darrin-tea-archive package is part of a campaign that aims to reward developers with tokens by flooding the npm registry with derivative packages.
The malicious code can compromise your project's integrity by modifying package configurations and publishing unwanted packages, which can lead to security vulnerabilities.
You should uninstall the darrin-tea-archive package immediately using 'npm uninstall darrin-tea-archive' and check your project for any other affected dependencies.
You can use 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 needing to sign up.
