Malicious Code Injection in desirable_quelea_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-93995: Malicious code in desirable_quelea_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The desirable_quelea_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that modifies its own package.json file and republishes variants to pollute the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's design, which includes autopublish scripts that remove private flags from the package.json file, change version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior can lead to the proliferation of malicious packages in the npm registry, potentially compromising the integrity of the ecosystem and affecting developers who rely on these packages for their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall desirable_quelea_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 avoid using the desirable_quelea_z3n package in your project. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The desirable_quelea_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their applications for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in maintaining the security of your software.
See every vulnerability recorded for desirable_quelea_z3n →
FAQ
It 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, potentially compromising your application's integrity and security.
You should remove the desirable_quelea_z3n package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches.
Yes, Vulert can monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time. You can use the Vulert playground to check your application without needing to sign up.
Currently, there is no patched version available. It is advisable to remove the package until a fix is released.
