Malicious Code Injection in inal-poke38: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-156424: Malicious code in inal-poke38 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'inal-poke38' is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This campaign has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages that contain scripts designed to manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. The primary functionality of these packages is to generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, which can lead to significant pollution of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'inal-poke38' stems from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior not only compromises the integrity of the npm registry but also poses risks to developers who may unknowingly install these malicious packages. The malicious payload is designed to continuously republish variants, further exacerbating the issue.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall inal-poke38If 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 'inal-poke38' package and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Monitor your package-lock.json file for any unauthorized changes and consider using tools like Vulert to detect vulnerabilities in your dependencies.
Conclusion
The 'inal-poke38' package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code designed to manipulate the npm registry. It is essential for developers to be vigilant about their dependencies and take immediate action to remove any affected packages. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in monitoring and managing vulnerabilities effectively.
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FAQ
'inal-poke38' is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at manipulating the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of malicious code, which may compromise your project's security and integrity.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall inal-poke38' and review your project dependencies for any other malicious packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for 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 signing up.
