Malicious Code Injection in delicate_termite_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-101305: Malicious code in delicate_termite_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The delicate_termite_z3n package is part of a series of npm packages that have been associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate npm's package registry by generating and publishing numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, making the package a target for malicious exploitation.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the delicate_termite_z3n package stems from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This results in the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can lead to significant security risks, including the potential for code injection and dependency confusion attacks.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall delicate_termite_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 remove the delicate_termite_z3n package from your project by executing: npm uninstall delicate_termite_z3n. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a fix is applied.
Conclusion
The delicate_termite_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code injection capabilities. It is crucial to monitor your dependencies and take appropriate actions to mitigate vulnerabilities, including updating or removing affected packages.
See every vulnerability recorded for delicate_termite_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at manipulating the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the injection of malicious code, which may compromise your application's security and integrity.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
If an immediate update is not possible, consider removing the package as a temporary measure to mitigate risks.
