Malicious Code Injection in Forthcoming Stork Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-102875: Malicious code in forthcoming_stork_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The 'forthcoming_stork_z3n' 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, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, its functionality has been compromised by malicious code.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's design, which includes autopublish 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, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the integrity of other packages. The malicious payload can affect developers by inflating reputation scores fraudulently and introducing security risks into their projects.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall forthcoming_stork_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can remove the 'forthcoming_stork_z3n' package from your project by executing the command: 'npm uninstall forthcoming_stork_z3n'. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a fix is applied.
Conclusion
The forthcoming_stork_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and their projects. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard your application from potential threats.
See every vulnerability recorded for forthcoming_stork_z3n →
FAQ
The vulnerability involves malicious code that modifies package.json files and repackages them to inflate developer reputation scores fraudulently.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check your application without requiring any signup.
Using this package can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, compromise the integrity of your project, and expose your application to security risks.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert for monitoring vulnerabilities, and stay updated with the latest versions of packages.
If an immediate update is not possible, consider removing the package from your project as a temporary measure to mitigate risks.
