Malicious Code Injection in deep_dragonfly-apptea: npm Package Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-101257: Malicious code in deep_dragonfly-apptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The deep_dragonfly-apptea package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign that has infiltrated the npm ecosystem. This package is designed to facilitate the distribution of token rewards through various scripts that automate the publication of derivative packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the deep_dragonfly-apptea package, which includes scripts that automatically modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior leads to the proliferation of derivative packages that can inflate developer reputation scores fraudulently. The malicious payload continuously republishes these variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially affecting other developers and users relying on the integrity of the ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall deep_dragonfly-appteaIf 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 this package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. If you are using Vulert, you can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup by visiting https://vulert.com/scanner.
Conclusion
The deep_dragonfly-apptea package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry with derivative packages. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for deep_dragonfly-apptea →
FAQ
deep_dragonfly-apptea is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the proliferation of malicious packages that may compromise your application's integrity and security.
You should remove the deep_dragonfly-apptea package from your project and check for any updates or patches.
Yes, Vulert can monitor your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities in real-time, alerting you to any issues without requiring code access.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
