Malicious Code Vulnerability in kentung-17 Package
Summary
MAL-2025-157496: Malicious code in kentung-17 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The kentung-17 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 for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious scripts that compromise the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the kentung-17 package arises from its inclusion of autopublish scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags and alter version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to a significant increase in spam packages, affecting the overall health of the npm ecosystem and potentially compromising the security of applications that depend on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-17If 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 kentung-17 package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your npm packages using tools like npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The kentung-17 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious behavior, which can compromise the integrity of the npm registry and affect applications relying on it. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities.
See every vulnerability recorded for kentung-17 →
FAQ
The kentung-17 package is an npm package that is part of a campaign to generate token rewards by publishing numerous derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of spam packages in your project, potentially compromising the integrity and security of your application.
You should uninstall the kentung-17 package immediately using npm uninstall kentung-17 and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
You can use tools like npm audit to check for vulnerabilities in your npm packages. Additionally, you can use Vulert to monitor and alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
