Malicious Code Injection in loose_crow-appteadev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-105322: Malicious code in loose_crow-appteadev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The loose_crow-appteadev package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the generation and publication of derivative packages, often containing scripts that automate the process of publishing to the npm registry. However, it has been identified as malicious due to its functionality that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry with unwanted variants.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which alters the package.json file by removing private flags and changing version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants. This behavior not only inflates developer reputation scores for token rewards but also pollutes the npm registry, potentially leading to confusion and misuse of legitimate packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall loose_crow-appteadevIf 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 this package by using npm's package-lock.json file to monitor dependencies. Ensure that your project does not include loose_crow-appteadev in its dependencies. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your project. 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 loose_crow-appteadev package has been identified as malicious due to its ability to modify package metadata and flood the npm registry with unwanted variants. It is crucial to remove this package from your project and monitor for any vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert to ensure the security of your application.
See every vulnerability recorded for loose_crow-appteadev →
FAQ
loose_crow-appteadev is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry with malicious packages, potentially causing confusion and misuse of legitimate packages.
You should uninstall the loose_crow-appteadev package immediately and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
