Malicious Code Vulnerability in educational_gazelle_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-101880: Malicious code in educational_gazelle_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The educational_gazelle_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is suspected to be involved in a token reward campaign that has led to the proliferation of malicious packages on npm. Its primary functionality is to provide educational resources, but it has been compromised to serve malicious purposes, affecting its integrity and the security of applications that depend on it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from malicious code embedded in the educational_gazelle_z3n package, which is part of a broader campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through the creation of derivative packages. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. The ramifications include potential exposure of sensitive data, pollution of the npm registry, and undermining the trustworthiness of the package ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall educational_gazelle_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can prevent the use of the compromised package by removing it from your dependencies. Use the following command: npm uninstall educational_gazelle_z3n. This will help mitigate the risk until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The educational_gazelle_z3n package has been identified as having a serious vulnerability due to malicious code that compromises its integrity. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to protect their applications from potential threats.
See every vulnerability recorded for educational_gazelle_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package intended for educational purposes but has been compromised with malicious code.
The malicious code can modify your package.json, remove private flags, and republish variants, potentially exposing your application to security risks.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Check your application using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner.
As a workaround, you can uninstall the package to mitigate risks until a secure version is available.
Detailed information can be found in the vulnerability report and through resources like Vulert.
