Malicious Code Injection in dhratea Package: npm Vulnerability Overview
Summary
MAL-2025-97702: Malicious code in dhratea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The dhratea package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate token rewards by generating and publishing derivative packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and security.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the dhratea package originates from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores and pollute the npm registry with numerous derivative packages. The implications of this vulnerability include potential exposure of sensitive data and the risk of dependency confusion attacks, where malicious packages could be inadvertently used in projects.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall dhrateaIf 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 dhratea package from your project by executing: npm uninstall dhratea. This will prevent the execution of any malicious code associated with the package.
Conclusion
The dhratea package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters project files and inflates developer reputation scores. It is crucial to update or remove this package to safeguard your project from potential threats.
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FAQ
The dhratea package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The package modifies the package.json file, removes private flags, changes version numbers, and generates random package names to inflate developer reputation scores.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without any signup.
Using the dhratea package can expose your project to security risks, including data leaks and dependency confusion attacks due to the presence of malicious code.
To prevent similar vulnerabilities, regularly audit your dependencies, utilize tools like Vulert for monitoring, and avoid using unverified packages.
