Malicious Code Injection in kentung-38 Package: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-157519: Malicious code in kentung-38 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The kentung-38 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 code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the kentung-38 package originates from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants that pollute the npm registry, potentially affecting other developers and users relying on legitimate packages. The malicious scripts included (auto.js, autopublish.js, etc.) are specifically designed to automate this harmful process.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-38If 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-38 package and instead look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your npm packages for vulnerabilities using tools like npm audit.
Conclusion
The kentung-38 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for kentung-38 →
FAQ
The kentung-38 package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting the integrity of other packages and potentially compromising your project's dependencies.
You should uninstall the kentung-38 package immediately using 'npm uninstall kentung-38' and check for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like npm audit to check for vulnerabilities in your project. Additionally, Vulert can monitor your package-lock.json for real-time alerts on open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
