Malicious Code Detected in irrelevant_guan-smiletea Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-104425: Malicious code in irrelevant_guan-smiletea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The irrelevant_guan-smiletea package is part of the npm ecosystem, often associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's design, which includes autopublish scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising other packages. The malicious payload can affect developers' reputation and the overall reliability of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall irrelevant_guan-smileteaIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a workaround, you can prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. If you are using Vulert, you can check your application for vulnerabilities without any installation. Use the following command to remove the package: npm uninstall irrelevant_guan-smiletea.
Conclusion
The irrelevant_guan-smiletea package poses a significant risk to developers and the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for irrelevant_guan-smiletea →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting the integrity of your project's dependencies and potentially harming your developer reputation.
You should uninstall the irrelevant_guan-smiletea package immediately and check for any other affected packages in your project.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor your project in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities by analyzing your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities without requiring a signup.
