Malicious Code Injection in kentung-50 Package: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-157532: Malicious code in kentung-50 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The kentung-50 package is part of a series of npm packages that have been associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. This behavior poses a significant risk to the integrity of the npm registry and the security of applications relying on these packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the kentung-50 package originates from its malicious design, which includes scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags and change version numbers. It generates random package names and continuously republishes variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry. This can result in developers inadvertently using compromised packages, potentially exposing their applications to further vulnerabilities and malicious activities.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-50If 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-50 package and any of its derivatives. Additionally, consider using a tool like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities. You can access the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
Conclusion
The kentung-50 package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious design aimed at manipulating package reputation scores. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert to ensure the security of their applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for kentung-50 →
FAQ
The kentung-50 package is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through automated publishing of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the use of compromised packages in your application, potentially exposing it to further security risks and malicious activities.
You should remove the kentung-50 package from your project and check for any updates or patches that may address the vulnerability.
You can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit https://vulert.com for more information.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without requiring an account.
