Malicious Code Injection in important_pheasant_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-94950: Malicious code in important_pheasant_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The important_pheasant_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. However, this package has been identified as malicious, containing scripts that manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores through deceptive practices.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's inclusion in a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior not only compromises the integrity of the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, leading to potential security breaches and loss of trust in the ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall important_pheasant_z3nIf 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 important_pheasant_z3n package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your package dependencies using tools like npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The important_pheasant_z3n package has been identified as malicious, posing significant risks to developers and the integrity of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities effectively.
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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 vulnerability can lead to the injection of malicious code, compromising the integrity of your project and potentially exposing it to security risks.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check for any dependencies that may be affected.
Yes, tools like Vulert can help monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just the package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
