Malicious Code Injection in ita-18 Package: npm Vulnerability Overview
Summary
MAL-2025-156932: Malicious code in ita-18 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The ita-18 package is part of the npm ecosystem and is 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 its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the ita-18 package originates from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the pollution of the npm registry and can potentially harm developers by affecting their reputation and the reliability of their packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall ita-18If 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-18 package and replace it with a verified alternative that does not exhibit malicious behavior. Always review the packages you intend to use for any known vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The ita-18 package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and utilize trusted alternatives to maintain the integrity of your software.
See every vulnerability recorded for ita-18 →
FAQ
The ita-18 package 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, potentially harming your project's reputation and introducing security risks.
You should uninstall the ita-18 package immediately using 'npm uninstall ita-18' to prevent any malicious activity.
There are no patches available for the ita-18 package as it is recommended to remove it entirely from your project.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json. You can check your application for vulnerabilities without signing up at the Vulert playground.
