Malicious Code Injection in harsh_sole-smiletea Package
Summary
MAL-2025-103614: Malicious code in harsh_sole-smiletea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The harsh_sole-smiletea package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate token rewards for developers by generating and publishing derivative packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the harsh_sole-smiletea package originates from its design to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names. This malicious code modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and continuously republishing variants, which leads to pollution of the npm registry. The ramifications include potential security risks for developers who unknowingly use these compromised packages, as well as damage to the reputation of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall harsh_sole-smileteaIf 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 harsh_sole-smiletea package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your package dependencies for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The harsh_sole-smiletea package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor for updates to ensure the security of your projects.
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FAQ
The harsh_sole-smiletea package 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 and can lead to the publication of compromised packages, which may introduce security vulnerabilities into your project.
You should remove the harsh_sole-smiletea package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches that may address the vulnerability.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source 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 needing to sign up.
