Malicious Code Injection in jaja-empal74-breki: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-73620: Malicious code in jaja-empal74-breki (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package jaja-empal74-breki is part of a series of malicious npm packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior not only compromises the integrity of the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious design of the jaja-empal74-breki package, which contains scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags and change version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This can lead to developers inadvertently using compromised packages, exposing their applications to potential security risks and instability.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall jaja-empal74-brekiIf 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 jaja-empal74-breki package and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Regularly audit your dependencies using tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The jaja-empal74-breki package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior aimed at inflating developer reputation scores. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant, remove any affected packages, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in their applications.
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FAQ
jaja-empal74-breki is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the creation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, potentially compromising its security and stability.
You should uninstall the jaja-empal74-breki package immediately and check your package-lock.json for any lingering references.
You can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time, providing alerts for any issues.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
