Malicious Code Injection in low_mouse-smiletea Package
Summary
MAL-2025-105352: Malicious code in low_mouse-smiletea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The low_mouse-smiletea 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 with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the low_mouse-smiletea package originates from its association with a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. The malicious code modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can potentially harm developers relying on legitimate packages. The implications include reputational damage for developers and increased difficulty in managing dependencies.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall low_mouse-smileteaIf 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 low_mouse-smiletea package from your project by executing the following command: npm uninstall low_mouse-smiletea. This will prevent the malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The low_mouse-smiletea package has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and can negatively impact developers. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or uninstalling the package to mitigate potential risks.
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FAQ
The low_mouse-smiletea package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, removes private flags, and continuously republishes variants, which can lead to dependency management issues and reputational harm.
You can use Vulert's playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
If you cannot update the package immediately, consider uninstalling it as a temporary measure to prevent the execution of malicious code.
You can find more information about vulnerabilities in npm packages on platforms like Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
