Malicious Code Injection in intan-18 Package: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-156526: Malicious code in intan-18 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The intan-18 package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package, like many others, is intended to facilitate the development and distribution of JavaScript applications. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that aims to manipulate the npm registry by flooding it with derivative packages, thereby inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards. The presence of such malicious packages poses a significant risk to developers and users relying on npm for secure and reliable packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the intan-18 package originates from its association with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package contains scripts designed to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, effectively polluting the npm registry. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and continuously republishes variants. This behavior can lead to a compromised npm environment, where developers may inadvertently use malicious packages, resulting in potential security breaches and loss of trust in the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall intan-18If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, avoid using the intan-18 package and monitor your project's dependencies for any signs of malicious activity. You can also utilize tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities without requiring access to the code or installation.
Conclusion
The intan-18 package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior aimed at manipulating the registry. It is essential for developers to be vigilant, remove any affected packages, and utilize monitoring tools like Vulert to safeguard their projects against such vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
The intan-18 package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to manipulate the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your project, compromising its security and reliability.
You should uninstall the intan-18 package immediately using the command npm uninstall intan-18.
Regularly update your dependencies, use trusted packages, and monitor your project with tools like Vulert to detect vulnerabilities.
Vulert is a tool that monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time, alerting you to any issues without requiring code access or installation.
