Malicious Code Injection in nokire-kore18: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-162704: Malicious code in nokire-kore18 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'nokire-kore18' is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'nokire-kore18' originates from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising other packages. The malicious scripts included in this package are designed to automate the process of creating and publishing these harmful derivatives, posing a significant risk to developers and users relying on the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall nokire-kore18If 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 malicious package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor your dependencies. You can also use the following command to uninstall the package: npm uninstall nokire-kore18.
Conclusion
The 'nokire-kore18' package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is essential for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their projects.
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FAQ
'nokire-kore18' is an npm package associated with a token reward campaign that has been identified as containing malicious code.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project's dependencies.
You should uninstall the package immediately and monitor your project for any other potentially affected dependencies.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without needing to sign up.
