Malicious Code Injection in gerald-tea-archive: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-103112: Malicious code in gerald-tea-archive (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 gerald-tea-archive package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been associated with a series of malicious packages flooding the npm registry. These packages are designed to manipulate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing numerous derivative packages with randomized names. The primary functionality of this package is to facilitate the tea protocol token rewards, but its malicious nature poses significant risks to users and the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the gerald-tea-archive package stems from its inclusion in a campaign that utilizes autopublish scripts to generate and publish derivative packages. These scripts modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and creating random package names, which leads to pollution of the npm registry. The malicious payload can compromise the security of applications relying on this package, potentially allowing unauthorized access or manipulation of code.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall gerald-tea-archiveIf 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 avoid using the gerald-tea-archive package altogether. If it is already installed, you can uninstall it with the following command: npm uninstall gerald-tea-archive. Additionally, consider using alternative packages that do not have known vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The gerald-tea-archive package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm registry integrity. Users are advised to remove this package and monitor their applications for any potential vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in maintaining the security of your software.
See every vulnerability recorded for gerald-tea-archive →
FAQ
The gerald-tea-archive package is part of a token reward campaign that has been associated with malicious activities in the npm ecosystem.
The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized modifications in your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall the gerald-tea-archive package immediately and monitor your application for any unusual behavior.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor and alert in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. It requires only the package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
