Malicious Code Injection in experimental_ant-appteadev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102390: Malicious code in experimental_ant-appteadev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The experimental_ant-appteadev 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, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the experimental_ant-appteadev package stems from its inclusion in a series of malicious packages that flood the npm registry. These packages contain scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can potentially harm developers by inflating reputation scores fraudulently.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall experimental_ant-appteadevIf 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 this package by using the following command to uninstall it: npm uninstall experimental_ant-appteadev. Additionally, you can monitor your package-lock.json file for any unauthorized changes.
Conclusion
The experimental_ant-appteadev package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and the integrity of the npm registry. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for experimental_ant-appteadev →
FAQ
The vulnerability involves malicious code that modifies package.json files and repackages them, leading to pollution of the npm registry.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Check your application using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner.
The consequences include compromised package integrity, potential security risks for developers, and pollution of the npm registry.
Yes, regularly update your packages and monitor your package-lock.json file for unauthorized changes. Additionally, avoid using unverified packages.
If no patched version is available, it is advisable to remove the package from your project to mitigate the risk.
