Malicious Code Injection in kentung-72: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-157556: Malicious code in kentung-72 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'kentung-72' 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 linked to a series of malicious packages that flood the npm registry. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts, making them a significant threat to the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'kentung-72' originates from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. It removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses risks to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kentung-72If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can avoid using 'kentung-72' and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Regularly audit your dependencies using npm audit to identify and mitigate risks from malicious packages.
Conclusion
The 'kentung-72' package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with compromised packages. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for potential vulnerabilities.
See every vulnerability recorded for kentung-72 →
FAQ
'kentung-72' is an npm package that has been identified as malicious, part of a campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing.
The malicious code modifies your package.json, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities and the pollution of the npm registry with unwanted packages.
You should remove 'kentung-72' from your project and check for any other malicious packages that may have been installed as dependencies.
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.
Habilume
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Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
