Malicious Code Injection in madan-poke13: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-158949: Malicious code in madan-poke13 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The madan-poke13 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 publishing of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, it has been identified as malicious due to its capability to modify package metadata and republish variants, posing a significant risk to developers and the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in madan-poke13 originates from its malicious code that alters the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of these variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can compromise the security and reliability of applications that depend on these packages. The malicious payload is part of a broader trend of exploiting npm for token rewards, making it crucial for developers to be vigilant.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall madan-poke13If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the madan-poke13 package and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Regularly audit your package-lock.json file to identify any potentially malicious packages.
Conclusion
The madan-poke13 package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with potentially harmful variants. Developers should take immediate action to remove this package and monitor their dependencies closely to ensure the security of their applications.
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FAQ
Madan-poke13 is an npm package that has been identified as malicious due to its involvement in a token reward campaign that exploits the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the modification of your package.json file, potentially compromising your application's integrity and security.
You should uninstall the madan-poke13 package immediately using the command npm uninstall madan-poke13.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json 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 needing to sign up.
