Malicious Code Injection in Identical Flying Fish Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-94913: Malicious code in identical_flyingfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'identical_flyingfish_z3n' package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been linked to a series of malicious activities aimed at inflating developer reputation scores. The package's primary function is to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, but it has been compromised to include harmful scripts.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious code embedded in the 'identical_flyingfish_z3n' package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names that often have Indonesian themes. The malicious payload continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry, potentially leading to reputation damage for developers and security risks for users who unknowingly install these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall identical_flyingfish_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, avoid using the 'identical_flyingfish_z3n' package and consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your dependencies using tools like npm audit.
Conclusion
The 'identical_flyingfish_z3n' package poses significant risks due to its malicious code that modifies project files and repopulates the npm registry with harmful variants. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the security and integrity of your projects.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that has been compromised to include malicious code aimed at inflating developer reputation scores.
If you have this package installed, it can lead to security risks and reputation damage due to the automatic publication of malicious variants.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check your project for any other compromised dependencies.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities without any signup.
