Malicious Code Injection in embarrassed_snail_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102052: Malicious code in embarrassed_snail_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'embarrassed_snail_z3n' package is part of the npm ecosystem and appears to be associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it is compromised by malicious scripts that alter its functionality and integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the 'embarrassed_snail_z3n' package stems from malicious code that modifies the package.json file. This code removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can severely impact the integrity of the npm ecosystem and can lead to security risks for developers using these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall embarrassed_snail_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 'embarrassed_snail_z3n' package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your dependencies using tools like npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The 'embarrassed_snail_z3n' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package integrity and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the security of their projects.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a token reward campaign but has been identified as malicious due to its harmful scripts.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise the security and integrity of your project by introducing malicious code.
You should remove the 'embarrassed_snail_z3n' package from your project immediately and check for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just the package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
