Malicious Code Injection in envious_chinchilla-toolteadev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102139: Malicious code in envious_chinchilla-toolteadev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The envious_chinchilla-toolteadev package is part of the npm ecosystem, often utilized for development purposes. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that exploits npm's publishing capabilities. This package is designed to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages with randomized names, which can lead to significant pollution of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the envious_chinchilla-toolteadev package, which is linked to a broader malicious campaign targeting npm. The package contains scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior can lead to the proliferation of malicious packages in the npm registry, potentially compromising the integrity of applications that depend on these packages. The malicious payload is designed to continuously republish variants, making it difficult to track and mitigate the impact of this vulnerability.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall envious_chinchilla-toolteadevIf 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 envious_chinchilla-toolteadev package by using the following command: npm uninstall envious_chinchilla-toolteadev. Additionally, you can monitor your project for any unauthorized changes to package.json and ensure that your npm registry is not polluted with malicious packages.
Conclusion
The envious_chinchilla-toolteadev package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm's publishing system. It is crucial for developers to be aware of this vulnerability, take appropriate action to update or remove the package, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor their applications for potential threats.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the proliferation of malicious packages in the npm registry, potentially compromising the integrity of applications that depend on these packages.
You should update the package to a patched version or uninstall it entirely to mitigate the risk.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just package-lock.json. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground without any signup.
The Vulert playground is a tool that allows you to check for vulnerabilities in your application by analyzing the package-lock.json file without requiring access to the code or installation.
