Malicious Code Injection in kentung-41: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-157523: Malicious code in kentung-41 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'kentung-41' is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. Its functionality is compromised by malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'kentung-41' originates from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk of dependency confusion and potential exploitation of other packages relying on this ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-41If 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 'kentung-41' and any packages that depend on it. Additionally, consider using a package lock file to prevent the installation of compromised packages.
Conclusion
The 'kentung-41' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for similar vulnerabilities.
See every vulnerability recorded for kentung-41 →
FAQ
'kentung-41' is an npm package involved in a malicious campaign that generates derivative packages to inflate developer reputation scores.
This vulnerability can lead to the pollution of your project's dependencies, potentially introducing malicious code and affecting the integrity of your application.
You should remove 'kentung-41' from your project and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
