Malicious Code Injection in exact_anglerfish-smiletea Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102301: Malicious code in exact_anglerfish-smiletea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The exact_anglerfish-smiletea package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with numerous packages. These packages are typically designed to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts. The package in question is vulnerable due to its malicious payload that alters package metadata and repurposes the package for nefarious activities.
Vulnerability Detail
This vulnerability originates from a malicious payload embedded within the exact_anglerfish-smiletea package. The payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names to continuously republish variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly install these compromised packages, leading to potential security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall exact_anglerfish-smileteaIf 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 exact_anglerfish-smiletea package and replace it with a trusted alternative. Always verify the integrity of packages before installation.
Conclusion
The exact_anglerfish-smiletea package contains a serious vulnerability that can compromise the integrity of applications using it. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for any potential threats. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your projects.
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FAQ
It is a package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been linked to malicious activities on the npm registry.
If your application uses this package, it may be at risk of having its metadata altered and could potentially be exposed to further malicious actions.
You should uninstall the exact_anglerfish-smiletea package immediately and check your application for any other compromised dependencies.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
