Malicious Code Injection in mere_marsupial_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-105803: Malicious code in mere_marsupial_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The mere_marsupial_z3n 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 for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants that pollute the npm registry, potentially affecting other developers and users relying on legitimate packages. The malicious code is part of a broader scheme to exploit the npm ecosystem for fraudulent purposes.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall mere_marsupial_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, avoid using the mere_marsupial_z3n package and monitor your project for any dependencies that may have been affected by this malicious package. You can also use tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The mere_marsupial_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor for any vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert to ensure the integrity of their applications.
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FAQ
The mere_marsupial_z3n package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, potentially affecting the integrity of other packages and causing issues in your project if dependencies are compromised.
If you have the mere_marsupial_z3n package installed, you should uninstall it immediately using 'npm uninstall mere_marsupial_z3n' and check for any affected dependencies.
You can use Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. This tool does not require 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 any signup.
