Malicious Code Injection in kory-validator-catalyst: npm Package Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-104845: Malicious code in kory-validator-catalyst (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
kory-validator-catalyst is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate certain functionalities within the ecosystem, but it has been compromised. The package is known for its role in generating and publishing derivative packages, which can lead to reputation inflation for developers involved in the tea protocol token rewards.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. These packages contain scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, change version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and potential security risks for developers who unknowingly use these compromised packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall kory-validator-catalyst
If 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 kory-validator-catalyst package from your project until a secure version is released. You can do this by running: npm uninstall kory-validator-catalyst.
Conclusion
The kory-validator-catalyst package has been identified as having a serious vulnerability due to its involvement in a malicious campaign. Developers are advised to update or remove the package to mitigate potential risks. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor for such vulnerabilities in real-time.
See every vulnerability recorded for kory-validator-catalyst →
FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to facilitate certain functionalities within the ecosystem.
The package contains scripts that modify package.json files, remove private flags, and generate random package names, leading to npm registry pollution.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check your application without any signup.
As a workaround, you can uninstall the kory-validator-catalyst package from your project until a secure version is available.
You can reach out to Amazon Inspector at actran@amazon.com for further inquiries regarding this vulnerability.