Malicious Code Injection in lala-poke21: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-157944: Malicious code in lala-poke21 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'lala-poke21' 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 'lala-poke21' originates from its malicious payload that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and changes version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This not only inflates developer reputation scores for token rewards but also poses a significant risk to users who may unknowingly install these compromised packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall lala-poke21If 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 avoid using 'lala-poke21' and any packages that depend on it. Additionally, consider using a package lock file to prevent the installation of malicious packages. You can also utilize tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities. For example, you can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The 'lala-poke21' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry with compromised packages. It is essential for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain security.
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FAQ
'lala-poke21' is an npm package that has been identified as containing malicious code designed to manipulate the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of compromised packages, which may affect the security and integrity of your project.
You should uninstall 'lala-poke21' immediately and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by vulnerabilities without requiring any signup.
