Malicious Code Injection in kind_fly_z3n Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-104825: Malicious code in kind_fly_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The kind_fly_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package appears to be 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 designed to manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores, making them a significant threat to developers and users alike.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the kind_fly_z3n package originates from its association with malicious scripts that modify the package.json file. These scripts remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses risks of dependency confusion and potential exploitation of applications relying on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kind_fly_z3nIf 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 remove the kind_fly_z3n package from your project by running the following command: npm uninstall kind_fly_z3n. This will prevent any malicious code from executing in your application.
Conclusion
The kind_fly_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and inflates developer reputation scores. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
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FAQ
The kind_fly_z3n package is an npm package that has been identified as malicious, associated with scripts that manipulate package metadata for fraudulent purposes.
You can check your project's dependencies using tools like Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. You can also use the Vulert playground to analyze your package-lock.json file.
Using the kind_fly_z3n package can lead to dependency confusion, potential exploitation, and pollution of the npm registry, which can affect the integrity and security of your application.
To prevent similar vulnerabilities, regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert for monitoring, and avoid using unverified or unknown packages.
If you have used the kind_fly_z3n package, it is crucial to uninstall it immediately and review your project's dependencies for any other potentially malicious packages.
