Malicious Code Vulnerability in GalacticWatcher Package
Summary
MAL-2025-171244: Malicious code in galacticwatcher (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
GalacticWatcher is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to provide functionalities related to monitoring or observing galactic data. However, it has been compromised, leading to significant security concerns. The package is known for its automatic publishing capabilities, which have been exploited to inflate developer reputation scores through malicious activities.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. It contains scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, change version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior leads to the pollution of the npm registry and can compromise the integrity of projects that depend on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall galacticwatcherIf 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 GalacticWatcher package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionalities without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The GalacticWatcher package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the integrity of projects using it. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor for vulnerabilities in your dependencies to maintain a secure development environment.
See every vulnerability recorded for galacticwatcher →
FAQ
GalacticWatcher is an npm package designed for monitoring galactic data, but it has been compromised and is now associated with malicious activities.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise the integrity of your project if it relies on the affected package.
You should remove the GalacticWatcher package from your project immediately and check for any updates or alternatives.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json file.
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