Malicious Code Injection in flaky_crab_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102809: Malicious code in flaky_crab_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The flaky_crab_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. This package is primarily used by developers to manage dependencies in JavaScript applications. However, it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that can manipulate package metadata and flood the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in flaky_crab_z3n stems from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, leading to potential pollution of the npm registry and compromising the integrity of the ecosystem. The malicious payload can also lead to unintentional exposure of sensitive information if private flags are removed.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall flaky_crab_z3nIf 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 flaky_crab_z3n by using npm's package-lock.json to lock your dependencies. Additionally, consider using a tool like Vulert to monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The flaky_crab_z3n package has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that poses significant risks to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to take immediate action to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for any vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
flaky_crab_z3n is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through automated publishing of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, potential exposure of sensitive information, and compromise the integrity of your application's dependencies.
You should uninstall the flaky_crab_z3n package immediately and check your package-lock.json for any references to it.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
