Malicious Code Injection in eldest_piranha_0xrequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102002: Malicious code in eldest_piranha_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The eldest_piranha_0xrequest package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores. This package, like others in its category, is vulnerable to exploitation due to its autopublish scripts that can manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to security risks, including the potential for dependency confusion and the introduction of untrusted code into projects that rely on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall eldest_piranha_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 avoid using the eldest_piranha_0xrequest package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, ensure that your package.json file does not include any references to this malicious package.
Conclusion
The eldest_piranha_0xrequest package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repackages itself. It is essential to remove this package from your project and monitor for any vulnerabilities to ensure the integrity of your software.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your project, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall the eldest_piranha_0xrequest package immediately and monitor your project for any unusual behavior.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
Habilume
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Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
