Malicious Code Injection in interim_mammal_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-95088: Malicious code in interim_mammal_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The interim_mammal_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, primarily used for JavaScript applications. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with various packages. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to manipulate developer reputation scores by generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the interim_mammal_z3n package stems from its malicious code, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to security risks, including the potential for dependency confusion and the introduction of malicious code into projects that rely on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall interim_mammal_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 interim_mammal_z3n package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your dependencies using tools like npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The interim_mammal_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and utilize tools like Vulert for ongoing monitoring of vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
The interim_mammal_z3n package is an npm package associated with a token reward campaign that has been identified as malicious due to its behavior of publishing derivative packages.
This vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall the interim_mammal_z3n package immediately and check your project for any dependencies that may have been affected.
Yes, tools like Vulert can monitor your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time, alerting you to any issues.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
