Malicious Code Injection in mwlxkz-devapptea: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-106068: Malicious code in mwlxkz-devapptea (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 mwlxkz-devapptea package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign that has infiltrated the npm ecosystem. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publishing of derivative packages, which are often used to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. Its functionality includes creating random package names and modifying existing package metadata, making it a significant threat to the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The mwlxkz-devapptea package contains malicious code that modifies the package.json file by removing private flags and altering version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior not only compromises the security of applications using this package but also undermines the overall trust in the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall mwlxkz-devappteaIf 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 measure, avoid using the mwlxkz-devapptea package and consider using 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 mwlxkz-devapptea package poses a significant risk to npm users due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry with unauthorized packages. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your applications for vulnerabilities to maintain security and integrity.
See every vulnerability recorded for mwlxkz-devapptea →
FAQ
mwlxkz-devapptea is an npm package involved in the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages automatically.
The vulnerability allows malicious code to modify your package.json file, potentially leading to unauthorized access or manipulation of your application.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall mwlxkz-devapptea' and check for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
