Malicious Code Injection in growing_capybara-appteadev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-103407: Malicious code in growing_capybara-appteadev (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 growing_capybara-appteadev package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious intent behind the growing_capybara-appteadev package, which includes scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially affecting other developers and applications relying on npm packages. The malicious payload can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and a compromised development environment.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall growing_capybara-appteadevIf 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 prevent the installation of the malicious package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. Ensure that your project does not include the growing_capybara-appteadev package and regularly audit your dependencies for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The growing_capybara-appteadev package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package configurations and pollutes the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain a secure development environment.
See every vulnerability recorded for growing_capybara-appteadev →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, potentially leading to unauthorized access and pollution of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the package immediately using npm uninstall growing_capybara-appteadev.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
