Malicious Code Injection in Inappropriate Tiger 0xRequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-104054: Malicious code in inappropriate_tiger_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'inappropriate_tiger_0xrequest' package is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to artificially inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. This behavior poses significant risks to the integrity of the npm registry and the security of applications relying on these packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from malicious code embedded within the 'inappropriate_tiger_0xrequest' package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. The ramifications include potential exposure of sensitive information, pollution of the npm registry, and degradation of the overall trust in the npm ecosystem. The malicious payload is part of a broader trend of automated scripts designed to exploit npm for personal gain.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall inappropriate_tiger_0xrequestIf 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 malicious package by using npm's package-lock.json file to lock your dependencies. Additionally, consider using tools 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 'inappropriate_tiger_0xrequest' package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to applications using it. Immediate action is required to remove this package and prevent potential exploitation. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your open-source dependencies.
See every vulnerability recorded for inappropriate_tiger_0xrequest →
FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the exposure of sensitive information and the pollution of the npm registry, potentially compromising the security of your application.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall inappropriate_tiger_0xrequest' and check your package-lock.json for any references to it.
Yes, regularly update your dependencies and use tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your open-source packages.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
