Malicious Code Injection in lala-poke51: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-157976: Malicious code in lala-poke51 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'lala-poke51' is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate the npm registry by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with random names. The primary functionality of these packages is to inflate developer reputation scores for rewards associated with the tea protocol, making them a significant threat to the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'lala-poke51' stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can potentially compromise other packages and applications relying on npm. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which employs autopublish scripts to automate the malicious activities.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall lala-poke51If 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-poke51' and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Monitor your package-lock.json file for any unauthorized changes and consider using tools like Vulert to track vulnerabilities in your dependencies.
Conclusion
The 'lala-poke51' package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code designed to manipulate package publishing. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their applications.
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FAQ
'lala-poke51' is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized changes in your package.json, potentially compromising your application and polluting the npm registry.
You should uninstall 'lala-poke51' immediately using 'npm uninstall lala-poke51' and review your other dependencies for security.
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.
