Malicious Code Vulnerability in free_starfish_requirement Package
Summary
MAL-2025-94605: Malicious code in free_starfish_requirement (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The free_starfish_requirement 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. The primary function of this package is to facilitate certain functionalities related to the tea protocol, but it has been compromised to include harmful scripts that can affect developers and their projects.
Vulnerability Detail
This vulnerability originates from the malicious code embedded in the free_starfish_requirement package. The code is designed to modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the automatic generation and republishing of derivative packages, ultimately polluting the npm registry and inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards. The ramifications include potential security risks for developers using this package, as it can lead to unintended consequences in their projects and contribute to a degraded npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall free_starfish_requirementIf 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 remove the free_starfish_requirement package from your project by executing the following command: npm uninstall free_starfish_requirement. This will prevent any malicious code from executing while you seek a more permanent solution.
Conclusion
The free_starfish_requirement package contains a significant vulnerability due to malicious code that modifies essential project files and can lead to security risks. It is crucial to update or remove this package to protect your project and maintain the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been compromised to include malicious code.
The vulnerability can lead to unintended modifications in your package.json file and may introduce security risks by polluting the npm registry.
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 for vulnerabilities without requiring any signup.
If no patched version is available, it is recommended to remove the package from your project to mitigate the risk.
