Malicious Code Injection in northern_swordtail_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-88866: Malicious code in northern_swordtail_z3n (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
The northern_swordtail_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, often utilized in JavaScript projects for various functionalities. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. This package is designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious code embedded within the northern_swordtail_z3n package. It 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 these variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can compromise the integrity of projects relying on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall northern_swordtail_z3nIf 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 workaround, you can remove the northern_swordtail_z3n package from your project by executing: npm uninstall northern_swordtail_z3n. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The northern_swordtail_z3n package contains malicious code that can compromise the integrity of projects using it. It is crucial to uninstall this package and monitor for updates to ensure the security of your application.
See every vulnerability recorded for northern_swordtail_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise the integrity of your project by introducing unwanted packages.
You should uninstall the package immediately and monitor for any updates or patches that may be released.
Yes, Vulert can monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities using just the package-lock.json file, providing real-time alerts.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
