Malicious Code Injection in Devoted Hornet Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-94016: Malicious code in devoted_hornet_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'devoted_hornet_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 scripts that compromise its integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the presence of malicious code within the 'devoted_hornet_z3n' package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to a broader trend of malicious packages flooding the npm ecosystem, specifically targeting token reward schemes.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall devoted_hornet_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 'devoted_hornet_z3n' package altogether. If it is already included in your project, you can remove it by running the following command: npm uninstall devoted_hornet_z3n.
Conclusion
The 'devoted_hornet_z3n' package contains malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and the integrity of the npm registry. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and stay vigilant about potential vulnerabilities in open-source packages.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publication of derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, removes private flags, and can lead to the pollution of the npm registry with unwanted packages.
You should uninstall the 'devoted_hornet_z3n' package immediately to prevent any potential security risks.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json file.
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