Malicious Code Injection in historical_trout_dumbs Package: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-103735: Malicious code in historical_trout_dumbs (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The historical_trout_dumbs package is part of the npm ecosystem, often 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, its malicious nature poses significant risks to users and the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the security of applications that depend on these packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to a campaign aimed at exploiting npm for token rewards, making it a significant concern for developers.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall historical_trout_dumbsIf 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 prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json file to lock your dependencies. Additionally, consider using a tool like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The historical_trout_dumbs package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that alters package configurations and pollutes the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by uninstalling this package and monitoring their projects for vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code can compromise your application's integrity by modifying package.json and republishing harmful variants, potentially leading to security risks.
You should uninstall the historical_trout_dumbs package immediately and review your package-lock.json for any references to it.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just the package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
