Malicious Code Injection in misleading_catfish_z3n: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-105882: Malicious code in misleading_catfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'misleading_catfish_z3n' is part of a series of npm packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior poses a significant risk to the integrity of the npm registry and the developers relying on it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'misleading_catfish_z3n' stems from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This results in the continuous republishing of variants that pollute the npm registry, potentially leading to reputation damage for developers and security risks for users who unknowingly install these compromised packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall misleading_catfish_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 'misleading_catfish_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 scan your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The 'misleading_catfish_z3n' package poses a serious threat 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 tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in their dependencies.
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FAQ
The main issue is that it contains malicious code that modifies package.json files and floods the npm registry with derivative packages.
You can use Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities. Visit the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check your application without any signup.
If you have installed the 'misleading_catfish_z3n' package, you should uninstall it immediately using 'npm uninstall misleading_catfish_z3n'.
There are no patches available for the 'misleading_catfish_z3n' package as it is recommended to remove it entirely from your project.
To prevent similar vulnerabilities, regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert for monitoring, and stay informed about the packages you include in your projects.
