Malicious Code Injection in dying_snake_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-101831: Malicious code in dying_snake_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The dying_snake_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, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. Its functionality is compromised due to the presence of malicious code that alters package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious code embedded in the dying_snake_z3n package. This code modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names, which leads 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, potentially leading to security breaches and loss of trust in the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall dying_snake_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, avoid using the dying_snake_z3n package and consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your dependencies using tools like npm audit to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The dying_snake_z3n package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
The dying_snake_z3n package is an npm package involved in the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise your project's integrity by introducing malicious code.
You should uninstall the dying_snake_z3n package immediately and check your project for any references to it in your package-lock.json file.
Yes, tools like Vulert can monitor your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
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