Malicious Code Injection in geographical_dingo-apptea: npm Package Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-103108: Malicious code in geographical_dingo-apptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The geographical_dingo-apptea package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. This package is designed to automatically generate and publish derivative packages, potentially compromising the integrity of the npm ecosystem. Its functionality is primarily linked to token rewards, but its malicious behavior poses significant risks to developers and users alike.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the inclusion of malicious code within the geographical_dingo-apptea package. This code is designed to modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. The malicious payload continuously republishes these variants, polluting the npm registry and inflating developer reputation scores fraudulently. This can lead to security risks for applications relying on these packages, as they may inadvertently incorporate compromised code.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall geographical_dingo-appteaIf 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 geographical_dingo-apptea package altogether. If it is already included in your project, remove it by running: npm uninstall geographical_dingo-apptea. Additionally, consider using Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time.
Conclusion
The geographical_dingo-apptea package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate package metadata and pollute the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
See every vulnerability recorded for geographical_dingo-apptea →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been identified as containing malicious code.
The malicious code can modify your package.json file, remove private flags, and continuously republish variants, potentially compromising your project's integrity.
You can use Vulert's playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
You should uninstall the geographical_dingo-apptea package immediately using the command: npm uninstall geographical_dingo-apptea.
Currently, there is no patched version available. It is recommended to remove the package until a secure version is released.
