Malicious Code Injection in Mysterious Primate Dumbs Package
Summary
MAL-2025-106074: Malicious code in mysterious_primate_dumbs (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'mysterious_primate_dumbs' package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. This package, like others in the campaign, is vulnerable to malicious code injection that can compromise the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's design, which includes autopublish scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, change version numbers, and generate random package names. This malicious payload allows the package to continuously republish variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially leading to security risks for developers who unknowingly use these compromised packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall mysterious_primate_dumbsIf 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 'mysterious_primate_dumbs' package and replace it with a similar, trusted package that does not exhibit malicious behavior. Always verify the integrity of packages before installation.
Conclusion
The 'mysterious_primate_dumbs' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that modifies package files and repopulates the npm registry with compromised packages. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with a token reward campaign that generates and publishes derivative packages to inflate developer reputation scores.
The malicious code can modify your package.json file, remove private flags, and republish variants, leading to potential security risks and pollution of the npm registry.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without any signup.
You should uninstall the 'mysterious_primate_dumbs' package immediately using 'npm uninstall mysterious_primate_dumbs' and replace it with a trusted alternative.
There are no patches available for the 'mysterious_primate_dumbs' package as it is recommended to remove it entirely from your project.
