Malicious Code Injection in mcvaul-devapptea: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-105726: Malicious code in mcvaul-devapptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
Background
mcvaul-devapptea is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate token rewards through various automated scripts. However, this package has been identified as malicious, containing scripts that manipulate package metadata and flood the npm registry with derivative packages, thereby compromising the integrity of the ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from a malicious payload embedded within the mcvaul-devapptea package. This payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. The result is an automated process that repackages and republishes variants of the original package, leading to pollution of the npm registry and potential exploitation of developers' reputations. This poses significant risks, including the potential for unauthorized access to sensitive data and the degradation of the npm ecosystem's trustworthiness.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall mcvaul-devappteaIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can avoid using the mcvaul-devapptea package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can monitor your dependencies using tools like Vulert, which can alert you to vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring access to your codebase.
Conclusion
The mcvaul-devapptea package presents a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and utilize monitoring tools like Vulert to stay informed about potential vulnerabilities in their dependencies.
See every vulnerability recorded for mcvaul-devapptea →
FAQ
mcvaul-devapptea is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate token rewards.
The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized modifications of your package.json file and the potential flooding of the npm registry with malicious packages.
You should uninstall the package immediately using npm uninstall mcvaul-devapptea and check your package-lock.json for any references.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities in real-time. You can check your application against known vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground.
Regularly audit your dependencies, utilize tools like Vulert for monitoring, and stay updated on security advisories related to the packages you use.
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
