Malicious Code Injection in eligible_newt_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-94225: Malicious code in eligible_newt_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The eligible_newt_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 by generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. However, it has been identified as malicious due to its functionality that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious code that modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the automatic generation and publication of numerous derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores fraudulently. The continuous republishing of these variants pollutes the npm registry, potentially affecting other developers and users relying on legitimate packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall eligible_newt_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 eligible_newt_z3n package by using the following command: npm uninstall eligible_newt_z3n. Additionally, you can monitor your project for vulnerabilities using Vulert, which utilizes package-lock.json to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The eligible_newt_z3n package has been identified as a source of malicious code that compromises the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by updating or removing the package and utilizing tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in their projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for eligible_newt_z3n →
FAQ
The eligible_newt_z3n package is part of a token reward campaign in the npm ecosystem, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise the integrity of your project's dependencies.
You should uninstall the eligible_newt_z3n package and monitor your project for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities by simply using your package-lock.json file.
You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner without any signup.
