Malicious Code Injection in Forthcoming Cephalopod 0xRequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102872: Malicious code in forthcoming_cephalopod_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The forthcoming_cephalopod_0xrequest package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names. Its primary functionality is to enhance developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of applications that depend on it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious intent behind the package, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to clutter the npm registry. This behavior not only affects the integrity of the npm ecosystem but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use 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 forthcoming_cephalopod_0xrequestIf 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 forthcoming_cephalopod_0xrequest package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The forthcoming_cephalopod_0xrequest package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is essential for developers to remove this package and monitor their applications for vulnerabilities to maintain security and integrity.
See every vulnerability recorded for forthcoming_cephalopod_0xrequest →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publication of derivative packages.
The malicious code can compromise your application's integrity, potentially leading to security breaches and unauthorized access.
You should uninstall the package immediately and monitor your application for any unusual behavior.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without requiring any signup.
