Malicious Code Injection in flying-copper-swallow Package
Summary
MAL-2025-94552: Malicious code in flying-copper-swallow (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The flying-copper-swallow package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages often contain scripts designed to manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the flying-copper-swallow package arises from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. It removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses risks to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches and loss of control over their projects.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall flying-copper-swallowIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the flying-copper-swallow package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Always verify the integrity and reputation of packages before including them in your project.
Conclusion
The flying-copper-swallow package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and their projects. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through automated scripts.
The malicious code modifies your package.json, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities and the pollution of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the flying-copper-swallow package immediately and check your project for any unintended changes.
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.
