Malicious Code Injection in environmental_dog_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-94274: Malicious code in environmental_dog_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The environmental_dog_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, primarily used for various development tasks. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that aims to inflate developer reputation scores through automated scripts. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, which can lead to significant pollution of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the environmental_dog_z3n package being associated with a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file. It removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which can lead to the proliferation of unwanted packages in the npm registry. This can compromise the integrity of the npm ecosystem and potentially affect developers who rely on these packages for their projects.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall environmental_dog_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 environmental_dog_z3n package and monitor your package-lock.json file for any unauthorized changes. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your dependencies.
Conclusion
The environmental_dog_z3n package has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that modifies package files and publishes unwanted variants. It is crucial for developers to be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary actions to protect their projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for environmental_dog_z3n →
FAQ
The environmental_dog_z3n package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores.
This vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting the integrity of your project's dependencies and potentially introducing malicious code.
You should update the package to a patched version if available or remove it from your project to mitigate the risk.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
