Malicious Code Injection in manda-3 Package: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-159626: Malicious code in manda-3 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The manda-3 package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate automated publishing of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the manda-3 package originates from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior not only affects the reputation of developers but also poses a risk of dependency confusion and potential exploitation of other packages relying on the npm registry.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall manda-3If 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 the manda-3 package by using npm's package-lock.json file to lock your dependencies. Ensure that your project does not include manda-3 or any other suspicious packages.
Conclusion
The manda-3 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry with unwanted variants. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies to maintain the security of your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for manda-3 →
FAQ
Manda-3 is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publishing of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting the integrity of your project's dependencies and potentially leading to security risks.
You should uninstall the manda-3 package immediately using 'npm uninstall manda-3' and review your other dependencies for any potential vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. It analyzes your package-lock.json file without requiring code access.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
