Malicious Code Injection in lexical_clownfish_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-95239: Malicious code in lexical_clownfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The lexical_clownfish_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, its functionality has been compromised, making it a target for malicious activities.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the lexical_clownfish_z3n package arises from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file. This modification removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the pollution of the npm registry. The malicious payload is designed to continuously republish variants, which can significantly impact the integrity of the npm ecosystem and developer trust.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall lexical_clownfish_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 lexical_clownfish_z3n package from your project by executing: npm uninstall lexical_clownfish_z3n. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The lexical_clownfish_z3n package is compromised by a malicious code vulnerability that can affect the integrity of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to update or remove the package to protect your projects. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor and alert for such vulnerabilities effectively.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project by introducing malicious code.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without any signup.
If an immediate update is not possible, consider removing the package as a temporary measure to mitigate risks.
