Malicious Code Injection in iqbal-poke56: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-156864: Malicious code in iqbal-poke56 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
iqbal-poke56 is an npm package that is part of a larger campaign aimed at exploiting the npm registry for token rewards. This package is designed to generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, which can mislead developers and inflate reputation scores. The malicious nature of this package poses significant risks to users who may unknowingly incorporate it into their projects.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in iqbal-poke56 originates from its association with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It contains scripts that modify the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can compromise the integrity of projects that depend on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall iqbal-poke56If 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 iqbal-poke56 package and monitor your project for any unintended dependencies that may have been introduced. Regularly audit your npm packages using 'npm audit' to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The iqbal-poke56 package poses a significant threat to npm users due to its malicious code and the potential for widespread impact on projects. It is crucial to take immediate action by removing the package and monitoring your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
iqbal-poke56 is an npm package involved in a malicious campaign that generates and publishes derivative packages to inflate developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your project, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall iqbal-poke56' and check for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json 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 any signup.
