Malicious Code Injection in kentung-61: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-157544: Malicious code in kentung-61 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package kentung-61 is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages often contain scripts that automatically generate and publish derivative packages, compromising the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in kentung-61 arises from its malicious payload that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior is designed to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, leading to pollution of the npm registry. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which exploits npm's publishing mechanisms.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-61If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the kentung-61 package and monitor your dependencies for any malicious activity. Regularly check your package-lock.json file for any unauthorized changes.
Conclusion
The kentung-61 package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior aimed at manipulating package reputation scores. It is crucial to uninstall this package and monitor your dependencies to maintain the integrity of your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for kentung-61 →
FAQ
Kentung-61 is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through automated publishing.
The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized modifications in your package.json file, potentially compromising your project's integrity and security.
You should uninstall the kentung-61 package immediately using the command 'npm uninstall kentung-61' to mitigate the risk.
Regularly update your dependencies and use tools like Vulert to monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities.
Vulert is a tool that monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just the package-lock.json file. You can check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup at the Vulert playground.
