Malicious Code Injection in kentung-19: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-157498: Malicious code in kentung-19 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package kentung-19 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 significant risks to users who may unknowingly install these malicious packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in kentung-19 arises from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This allows the package to continuously republish variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially leading to unintended consequences for developers who rely on the integrity of the npm ecosystem. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which exploits npm's publishing mechanisms for malicious purposes.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-19If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, avoid using kentung-19 and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz campaign. Regularly audit your package.json and package-lock.json files for any suspicious entries and remove them promptly.
Conclusion
The kentung-19 package poses a significant threat to npm users due to its malicious behavior aimed at inflating developer reputation scores. It is essential to remove this package and regularly audit your dependencies to maintain the integrity of your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for kentung-19 →
FAQ
Kentung-19 is an npm package identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
If installed, kentung-19 can modify your package.json file, remove private flags, and continuously republish variants, which can lead to pollution of the npm registry and potential security risks.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. By utilizing the Vulert playground, you can check if your application is affected without any signup.
You should uninstall kentung-19 immediately using the command 'npm uninstall kentung-19' and review your project for any other potentially malicious packages.
There are no patches available for kentung-19 as it is a malicious package. The best course of action is to remove it from your project.
