Malicious Code Injection in democratic_hare_z3n: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-101335: Malicious code in democratic_hare_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'democratic_hare_z3n' is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is implicated in a malicious campaign that aims to exploit the npm registry by generating and publishing numerous derivative packages with altered metadata. The malicious behavior is primarily driven by scripts designed to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards associated with the tea.xyz protocol.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'democratic_hare_z3n' stems from its involvement in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and creates random package names. This behavior not only compromises the integrity of the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly install these malicious packages. The payload is designed to continuously republish variants, leading to further pollution of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall democratic_hare_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the 'democratic_hare_z3n' package and monitor your dependencies for any malicious activity. Regularly audit your npm packages using 'npm audit' to identify vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The 'democratic_hare_z3n' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious behavior aimed at exploiting the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the security of their projects.
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FAQ
'democratic_hare_z3n' is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to exploit the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of malicious packages that compromise your project's integrity and security.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall democratic_hare_z3n' and audit your project for any other vulnerabilities.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without signing up.
