Malicious Code Injection in odd_earwig_z3n Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-95732: Malicious code in odd_earwig_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The odd_earwig_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is suspected to be involved in a token reward campaign that has led to the proliferation of malicious packages on npm. It is designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages, which can compromise the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the odd_earwig_z3n package, which contains malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names and continuously republishes these variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry. This can inflate developer reputation scores fraudulently and expose users to potential security risks.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall odd_earwig_z3nIf 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 file to lock your dependencies. Additionally, consider using the following command to uninstall the package: npm uninstall odd_earwig_z3n.
Conclusion
The odd_earwig_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that modifies package configurations and repackages itself. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of your applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for odd_earwig_z3n →
FAQ
odd_earwig_z3n is an npm package that has been identified as malicious, involved in automating the publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may expose your application to security risks due to the presence of malicious code.
You should uninstall the odd_earwig_z3n package immediately and monitor for any updates or patches that may be released.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time about open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
