Malicious Code Injection in Distinguished Alpaca Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-101655: Malicious code in distinguished_alpaca_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The 'distinguished_alpaca_z3n' 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 through the generation and publication of derivative packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of applications relying on it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially affecting the reputation of developers. The malicious scripts included in the package are designed to automate the creation of these derivative packages, posing a significant risk to the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall distinguished_alpaca_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can prevent the package from being used in your project by removing it from your dependencies. You can do this by executing the following command: npm uninstall distinguished_alpaca_z3n.
Conclusion
The 'distinguished_alpaca_z3n' package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to applications using it. Immediate action is required to remove this package and prevent any potential security breaches. Regular monitoring using tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your software.
See every vulnerability recorded for distinguished_alpaca_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code can compromise your application's integrity by modifying package configurations and potentially leading to security issues.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor and alert for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. Visit Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without any signup.
You should uninstall the 'distinguished_alpaca_z3n' package immediately to mitigate any risks associated with its malicious code.
Currently, there is no patched version available. The best course of action is to remove the package from your project.
