Malicious Code Injection in hungry_tern_z3n: npm Package Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-94887: Malicious code in hungry_tern_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'hungry_tern_z3n' package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that aims to exploit the npm registry by flooding it with derivative packages. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts, which can lead to significant pollution of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'hungry_tern_z3n' involves the presence of malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior is part of a broader scheme to create and publish numerous variants of the package, thereby compromising the integrity of the npm registry and potentially affecting users who unknowingly install these malicious packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which incentivizes such malicious practices.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall hungry_tern_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can avoid using the 'hungry_tern_z3n' package altogether. If you have already installed it, you can uninstall it using the command: npm uninstall hungry_tern_z3n.
Conclusion
The 'hungry_tern_z3n' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that manipulates package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in their dependencies.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to exploit the npm registry.
If your application uses the 'hungry_tern_z3n' package, it may inadvertently publish malicious variants and compromise the integrity of your project.
You should uninstall the 'hungry_tern_z3n' package immediately to mitigate any risks associated with its malicious behavior.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without requiring any signup.
