Malicious Code Injection in nghgta-devapptea: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-106294: Malicious code in nghgta-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
nghgta-devapptea is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate the distribution of rewards through various applications. However, this package has been identified as malicious, containing scripts that manipulate its own metadata and publish numerous derivative packages to inflate developer reputation scores.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in nghgta-devapptea arises from its inclusion of autopublish scripts that modify the package.json file. These scripts remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly install these malicious packages, potentially compromising their projects and systems.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall nghgta-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 nghgta-devapptea package and consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Regularly audit your dependencies using tools like npm audit to identify any vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The nghgta-devapptea package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for nghgta-devapptea →
FAQ
The primary risk is the potential for malicious code execution, which can compromise your project and lead to security breaches.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check your application without needing to sign up.
Immediately uninstall the package using npm uninstall nghgta-devapptea and review your project for any other potentially malicious dependencies.
Yes, tools like npm audit and Vulert can help you identify and manage vulnerabilities in your npm packages.
Ignoring this vulnerability could lead to the installation of malicious packages that may compromise your system, leading to data loss or unauthorized access.
