Malicious Code Injection in lina-poke15: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-158096: Malicious code in lina-poke15 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
lina-poke15 is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate interactions within the npm ecosystem, but it has been compromised by malicious actors. The package's primary functionality has been hijacked to serve the interests of those looking to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in lina-poke15 stems from its association with a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. This package contains scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. The continuous republishing of these variants can lead to pollution of the npm registry, potentially affecting other developers and projects relying on npm packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall lina-poke15If 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 the lina-poke15 package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The lina-poke15 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate the npm registry. It is essential for developers to remove this package from their projects and utilize tools like Vulert to stay informed about potential vulnerabilities in their dependencies.
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FAQ
lina-poke15 is an npm package that has been compromised to serve malicious purposes, primarily related to the tea.xyz token reward campaign.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, which may affect the integrity and security of other packages in your project.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall lina-poke15' and monitor your project for any further vulnerabilities.
You can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source 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 signing up.
