Malicious Code Injection in equal_marten_dumbs Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-102156: Malicious code in equal_marten_dumbs (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The equal_marten_dumbs package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, its functionality has been compromised, leading to significant security concerns.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the equal_marten_dumbs package stems from its malicious code, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior not only compromises the integrity of the npm ecosystem but also poses risks to developers who may unknowingly use these tainted packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall equal_marten_dumbsIf 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 equal_marten_dumbs package and any packages that depend on it. Regularly audit your package.json and package-lock.json files to ensure no malicious packages are included. You can also use tools like Vulert to monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The equal_marten_dumbs package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry with tainted packages. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor their dependencies for any vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
The equal_marten_dumbs package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your project, compromising its integrity and potentially exposing sensitive data.
Currently, there is no patched version available for the equal_marten_dumbs package. It is recommended to uninstall it immediately.
You can use Vulert to monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time by analyzing your package-lock.json file.
If you have used the equal_marten_dumbs package, uninstall it from your project and audit your dependencies to ensure no malicious packages are present.
