Malicious Code Vulnerability in kentung-3 Package
Summary
MAL-2025-157510: Malicious code in kentung-3 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The kentung-3 package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publishing of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. This package has been identified as malicious due to its ability to modify package metadata and republish variants to the npm registry, potentially leading to widespread pollution of the registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the kentung-3 package originates from its malicious intent to manipulate package.json files by removing private flags and altering version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants. This behavior not only compromises the integrity of the npm registry but also poses risks to developers who may unknowingly install these malicious packages, leading to potential security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-3If 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-3 package and any other packages that are part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Regularly audit your package-lock.json file to identify and remove any suspicious packages.
Conclusion
The kentung-3 package poses a significant threat to developers and the integrity of the npm registry due to its malicious behavior. It is essential to remain vigilant, regularly audit your dependencies, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your applications.
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FAQ
The kentung-3 package is a malicious npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of malicious code, compromising the integrity of your application and potentially exposing it to security risks.
You can use the Vulert platform to monitor and alert for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. Visit Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without any signup.
If you have installed kentung-3, you should immediately uninstall it using 'npm uninstall kentung-3' and review your dependencies for any other suspicious packages.
There are no patches available for the kentung-3 package as it is inherently malicious. The best course of action is to remove it from your project.
