Malicious Code Injection in iqbal-poke21: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-156826: Malicious code in iqbal-poke21 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
iqbal-poke21 is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign targeting the npm registry. This package is associated with the tea.xyz token reward initiative, which has been known to flood the npm ecosystem with harmful packages. The primary functionality of iqbal-poke21 is to serve as a facade for malicious activities, including the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages designed to inflate developer reputation scores.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in iqbal-poke21 stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior is part of a broader scheme to pollute the npm registry by continuously republishing variants of the package. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which exploits npm's publishing mechanisms to create a network of harmful packages that can compromise the integrity of the registry and potentially affect users who unknowingly install these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall iqbal-poke21If 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 iqbal-poke21 package and monitor your package-lock.json file for any unauthorized changes. If you are using Vulert, you can utilize their platform to monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities without needing to access the code directly.
Conclusion
The iqbal-poke21 package poses a significant threat to npm users due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the registry with harmful variants. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
iqbal-poke21 is an npm package identified as part of a malicious campaign that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry with harmful variants.
The vulnerability can compromise your project's integrity by introducing malicious code and potentially leading to security breaches if the package is installed.
You should uninstall iqbal-poke21 immediately using the command npm uninstall iqbal-poke21 and check your project for any unauthorized changes.
You can use Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without needing to access the code or install any software.
There is no patch available for iqbal-poke21 as it is a malicious package. The best course of action is to remove it from your project.
