Malicious Code Injection in Molecular Puma Appteadev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-105944: Malicious code in molecular_puma-appteadev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The molecular_puma-appteadev package is part of the npm ecosystem, typically used for developing applications with a focus on modularity and performance. However, this package has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that exploits npm's publishing mechanisms to inflate developer reputation scores through the creation of derivative packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from a malicious payload embedded within the molecular_puma-appteadev package. This payload modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which leads to the continuous republishing of these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches and loss of data integrity.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall molecular_puma-appteadevIf 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 remove the molecular_puma-appteadev package from your project by executing the following command: npm uninstall molecular_puma-appteadev. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a fix is applied.
Conclusion
The molecular_puma-appteadev package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise application security. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by uninstalling the package and monitoring their projects for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
See every vulnerability recorded for molecular_puma-appteadev →
FAQ
It is an npm package used in application development, but it has been compromised with malicious code.
The vulnerability can lead to the injection of malicious code, which may compromise your application's security and integrity.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check for any updates or patches that address this vulnerability.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check your application for vulnerabilities without needing to sign up.
