Malicious Code Exploit in economic_quelea_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-94171: Malicious code in economic_quelea_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The economic_quelea_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 for developers by generating and publishing derivative packages. However, it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that manipulate its functionality.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from the presence of malicious code within the economic_quelea_z3n package. This code is designed to automatically modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and creating random package names. The malicious payload continuously republishes these variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry and potential reputation damage for developers. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with such compromised packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall economic_quelea_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 prevent the installation of the economic_quelea_z3n package by adding it to your project's package.json file under 'dependencies' with a version constraint that excludes the compromised version. For example: "economic_quelea_z3n": "<0.1.0".
Conclusion
The economic_quelea_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise your project. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies to maintain the security and integrity of your software.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, removes private flags, and republishes variants, which can lead to reputation damage and registry pollution.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check your application without any signup.
You should remove the economic_quelea_z3n package from your project immediately and check for any updates or patches.
Regularly monitor your dependencies using tools like Vulert and keep your packages updated to the latest secure versions.
