Malicious Code Injection in genetic_owl_0xrequest: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-103088: Malicious code in genetic_owl_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package genetic_owl_0xrequest is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This campaign has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages that contain scripts designed to manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores. The primary functionality of this package is to facilitate interactions within the npm environment, but it has been compromised to serve malicious purposes.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in genetic_owl_0xrequest stems from its inclusion in a series of malicious packages that automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names. The malicious payload alters the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and creating random package names, which leads to pollution of the npm registry. This can result in developers unknowingly using compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall genetic_owl_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 manually check your package-lock.json file for any instances of genetic_owl_0xrequest and remove it. Additionally, you can use the following command to uninstall the package: 'npm uninstall genetic_owl_0xrequest'.
Conclusion
The genetic_owl_0xrequest package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and can lead to security vulnerabilities in applications. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or removing the package and utilizing tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
genetic_owl_0xrequest is an npm package that has been identified as malicious and is part of a campaign to manipulate npm registry data.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of compromised code into your application, potentially causing security issues and instability.
You should immediately update or uninstall the genetic_owl_0xrequest package to mitigate any risks associated with its use.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
