Malicious Code Injection in early_crow_z3n: npm Package Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-101851: Malicious code in early_crow_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The early_crow_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 the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in early_crow_z3n originates from its inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of these variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can potentially harm developers relying on legitimate packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall early_crow_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 early_crow_z3n package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, consider using npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities in your project.
Conclusion
The early_crow_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for early_crow_z3n →
FAQ
early_crow_z3n is an npm package associated with a token reward campaign that generates and publishes derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, potentially causing conflicts and issues with legitimate packages in your project.
You should remove the early_crow_z3n package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches.
You can use tools like npm audit to check for vulnerabilities in your dependencies and consider using Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for real-time alerts.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
