Malicious Code Injection in nokire-akaza19: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-162230: Malicious code in nokire-akaza19 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'nokire-akaza19' 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, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. This package is particularly vulnerable due to its autopublish scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'nokire-akaza19' originates from its malicious payload that modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can compromise the integrity of other packages. The malicious code is part of a broader campaign to exploit npm's publishing mechanisms.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall nokire-akaza19If 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 prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. Ensure that you do not include 'nokire-akaza19' in your package.json or lock file. Additionally, you can use Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities without needing to install any software. Visit https://vulert.com/scanner to check if your application is affected.
Conclusion
The 'nokire-akaza19' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with harmful variants. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies regularly to maintain the integrity of your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for nokire-akaza19 →
FAQ
The primary risk is that it can modify your project's package.json file, leading to the installation of potentially harmful packages and polluting the npm registry.
You can check your package.json and package-lock.json files for any references to nokire-akaza19. Additionally, using tools like Vulert can help identify vulnerabilities in your dependencies.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall nokire-akaza19' and review your dependencies for any other malicious packages.
Regularly audit your dependencies using tools like npm audit and Vulert to catch vulnerabilities early. Always verify the source and integrity of packages before installation.
Yes, Vulert can monitor your project in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json file. You can check your application for vulnerabilities without any signup at Vulert Scanner.
