Malicious Code Injection in muklis-13: A Threat to npm Package Integrity
Summary
MAL-2025-160796: Malicious code in muklis-13 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'muklis-13' is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. This package is particularly concerning due to its ability to manipulate package metadata and publish numerous variants, which can lead to reputation inflation within the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'muklis-13' stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior is intended to flood the npm registry with derivative packages, potentially compromising the integrity of the ecosystem and misleading developers regarding the authenticity and reliability of packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall muklis-13If 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 avoid using the 'muklis-13' package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your npm packages using tools like npm audit to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The 'muklis-13' package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the security and integrity of your applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for muklis-13 →
FAQ
The main issue is that it contains malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry with derivative packages.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall muklis-13' and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
Yes, tools like Vulert can monitor and alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json file.
Using compromised packages can lead to security breaches, data loss, and can compromise the integrity of your application and its dependencies.
