Malicious Code Injection in dreadful_fly_0xrequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-101767: Malicious code in dreadful_fly_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The dreadful_fly_0xrequest 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. However, it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that can alter package metadata and republish variants, leading to potential abuse and pollution of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the inclusion of malicious code within the dreadful_fly_0xrequest package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which can lead to the proliferation of unauthorized and potentially harmful packages in the npm registry. The ramifications include a compromised npm ecosystem, potential security risks for developers using these packages, and damage to the reputation of legitimate packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall dreadful_fly_0xrequestIf 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 prevent the installation of the dreadful_fly_0xrequest package by using the npm shrinkwrap feature or by specifying exact versions of your dependencies in your package.json file to avoid pulling in this malicious package.
Conclusion
The dreadful_fly_0xrequest package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the integrity of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action to remove this package and implement monitoring solutions to safeguard their projects against similar vulnerabilities in the future.
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FAQ
The dreadful_fly_0xrequest package is an npm package that has been linked to a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized modifications of your package metadata, potential security risks, and the pollution of the npm registry with malicious packages.
You should remove the dreadful_fly_0xrequest package from your project immediately and monitor for any updates or patches that may address this vulnerability.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. You can also check your application against known vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert for monitoring, and stay informed about vulnerabilities in the npm ecosystem to mitigate risks.
