Malicious Code Vulnerability in kentung-57 Package
Summary
MAL-2025-157539: Malicious code in kentung-57 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The kentung-57 package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate automated publishing of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, this functionality has been exploited to introduce malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the kentung-57 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 impacting developers and users relying on legitimate packages. The malicious scripts, such as auto.js and autopublish.js, are designed to automate this process, making it difficult to track and mitigate the issue.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-57If 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 prevent the installation of the kentung-57 package by using the following command: npm uninstall kentung-57. Additionally, ensure that your package.json file does not include this package to avoid any potential vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The kentung-57 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that modifies package.json and repopulates the npm registry with harmful variants. It is essential for developers to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard their projects and maintain the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
See every vulnerability recorded for kentung-57 →
FAQ
The kentung-57 package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publishing of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry with malicious packages, potentially compromising the integrity of your project and affecting other developers.
If you have installed kentung-57, it is crucial to uninstall the package immediately and check for any other affected packages in your project.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground without any signup.
If no patched version is available, it is advisable to remove the kentung-57 package from your project and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
