Malicious Code Injection in nokire-kore19: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-162705: Malicious code in nokire-kore19 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'nokire-kore19' 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-kore19' 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 that pollute the npm registry, potentially affecting developers and users relying on legitimate packages. The malicious scripts included in this package are designed to automate the process, making it difficult to detect and mitigate.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall nokire-kore19If 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. You can also use the following command to uninstall the package: npm uninstall nokire-kore19.
Conclusion
The 'nokire-kore19' package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the registry with harmful variants. It is crucial for developers to remain vigilant, regularly update their dependencies, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry with malicious packages, affecting the integrity of the ecosystem and potentially compromising other projects that depend on npm.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
If you have installed nokire-kore19, you should uninstall it immediately using the command: npm uninstall nokire-kore19.
Yes, Vulert can monitor and alert in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json.
Using unverified packages from the npm registry can expose your project to vulnerabilities, including malicious code, which can compromise your application's security.
