Malicious Code Injection in kentung-11: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-157490: Malicious code in kentung-11 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The kentung-11 package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package, like many others, is intended to facilitate the development and distribution of JavaScript applications. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that exploits npm's publishing mechanisms, potentially compromising the integrity of the npm registry and the applications that depend on it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in kentung-11 originates from its association with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been flooding npm with malicious packages. These packages contain scripts designed to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, thereby inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and continuously republishes variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry and possible security risks for applications relying on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-11If 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 prevent the installation of the kentung-11 package by using npm's package-lock.json file to lock your dependencies. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities. 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 kentung-11 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to exploit npm's publishing system. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the security of their applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for kentung-11 →
FAQ
Kentung-11 is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign targeting the npm ecosystem.
The malicious code can alter your package.json file, remove private flags, and republish variants, potentially compromising your application's security.
You should remove the kentung-11 package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches that may be released.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without signing up.
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
