Malicious Code Injection in Essential Swallow Dumbs Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102242: Malicious code in essential_swallow_dumbs (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The 'essential_swallow_dumbs' package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate automated publishing of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that modifies essential files within the package, posing a significant risk to developers and users alike.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. It includes scripts that automatically alter the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of the software supply chain, potentially allowing for further exploitation.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall essential_swallow_dumbsIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the 'essential_swallow_dumbs' package and replace it with a trusted alternative. Always verify the integrity and source of packages before including them in your project.
Conclusion
The 'essential_swallow_dumbs' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters essential package files. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for essential_swallow_dumbs →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with a token reward campaign that has been identified to contain malicious code.
The vulnerability can lead to the modification of your package files and the potential pollution of the npm registry, which may compromise your project's integrity.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall essential_swallow_dumbs' and review your project for any other potentially malicious dependencies.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without signing up.
