Malicious Code Injection in manda-48 Package: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-159646: Malicious code in manda-48 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The manda-48 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 publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the manda-48 package originates from its malicious payload, which modifies 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 to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to a loss of trust in the npm ecosystem, potential data breaches, and exploitation of developers' reputations.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall manda-48If 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 manda-48 package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The manda-48 package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry with unwanted variants. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for manda-48 →
FAQ
The manda-48 package is an npm package involved in the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the modification of your package.json file, loss of private flags, and potential pollution of the npm registry, which can compromise your project's integrity.
You should uninstall the manda-48 package immediately using 'npm uninstall manda-48' and check for any other affected packages.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json. You can check your application for vulnerabilities without any signup at the Vulert playground.
While this incident raises concerns, npm continues to implement security measures. Always review package sources and consider using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities.
