Malicious Code Injection in monetary_muskox_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-105954: Malicious code in monetary_muskox_z3n (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
Background
The monetary_muskox_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, often utilized in JavaScript projects for various functionalities. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. This package is designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts, which can lead to significant security risks.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the package's involvement in the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which utilizes scripts to automatically generate and publish numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This malicious behavior modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and continuously republishing variants, thereby polluting the npm registry. The ramifications include potential exposure of sensitive data, unauthorized access, and a compromised development environment.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall monetary_muskox_z3nIf 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 prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. You can also utilize Vulert to check for vulnerabilities in your application without requiring code access. Use the following command to remove the package: npm uninstall monetary_muskox_z3n.
Conclusion
The monetary_muskox_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious behavior in the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain a secure development environment.
See every vulnerability recorded for monetary_muskox_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores.
It can lead to unauthorized modifications of your package.json file and potentially expose your project to further security risks.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check for any unauthorized changes in your project.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor your project in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just the package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities without any signup.
