Malicious Code Vulnerability in exuberant_camel-apptea Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102453: Malicious code in exuberant_camel-apptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The exuberant_camel-apptea package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. This package is designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for tea protocol token rewards. Its functionality is compromised by malicious scripts that modify package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
This vulnerability originates from the package's involvement in a malicious campaign that includes scripts (auto.js, autopublish.js, autopublish2.js, autopublish3.js) designed to remove private flags from package.json, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. The continuous republishing of these variants leads to pollution of the npm registry, potentially affecting developers who rely on the integrity of the packages they use. The malicious payload can compromise the security and reputation of applications that depend on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall exuberant_camel-appteaIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can manually remove the package from your project by running the following command: npm uninstall exuberant_camel-apptea. Additionally, ensure that your package.json file does not reference this package to prevent any accidental reinstallation.
Conclusion
The exuberant_camel-apptea package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate package metadata and pollute the npm registry. Users are advised to uninstall the package and monitor for any updates regarding a secure version. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in identifying vulnerabilities in your application.
See every vulnerability recorded for exuberant_camel-apptea →
FAQ
It is a package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign that automates the generation of derivative packages for reputation inflation.
The malicious code modifies your package.json, potentially exposing your application to security risks and affecting its integrity.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json. You can also check your application using the Vulert playground without any signup.
You should uninstall the exuberant_camel-apptea package immediately to mitigate any risks associated with its malicious code.
Currently, there is no patched version available. The best action is to remove the package until a secure version is released.
