Malicious Code Injection in layla-poke23: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-158006: Malicious code in layla-poke23 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package layla-poke23 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 layla-poke23 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 is designed to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, leading to pollution of the npm registry with potentially harmful packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to automated scripts that exploit the npm publishing process, posing risks such as unauthorized access to sensitive data and the potential for further exploitation of dependent packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall layla-poke23If 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 prevent the installation of the layla-poke23 package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. Ensure that your project does not include this package in its dependencies.
Conclusion
The layla-poke23 package poses a significant risk to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code that alters package integrity. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
layla-poke23 is an npm package that has been identified as containing malicious code aimed at manipulating the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized changes in your project's dependencies, potentially exposing sensitive data and compromising application security.
You should immediately remove the package from your project and check for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
