Malicious Code Injection in ita-12 Package: npm Vulnerability Overview
Summary
MAL-2025-156926: Malicious code in ita-12 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The ita-12 package is part of the npm ecosystem and has been implicated in a malicious campaign associated with the tea.xyz token reward initiative. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. Its functionality is compromised due to the presence of malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the ita-12 package stems from its involvement in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can potentially harm developers by compromising their projects with untrusted code. The malicious payload is executed through scripts named auto.js, autopublish.js, autopublish2.js, and autopublish3.js, which are embedded within the package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall ita-12If 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 ita-12 package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can use the following command to check your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities: npm audit.
Conclusion
The ita-12 package has been identified as a vector for malicious code injection, posing significant risks to developers and their projects. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for ita-12 →
FAQ
The ita-12 package is an npm package that has been linked to a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of untrusted code into your project, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall the ita-12 package immediately using the command npm uninstall ita-12 and check your project for any other vulnerabilities.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. You can also check your application using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner.
Yes, you should look for other reputable npm packages that offer similar functionality without the associated risks of malicious code.
