Malicious Code Injection in official_manatee_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-95737: Malicious code in official_manatee_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The official_manatee_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. The primary functionality of this package is to serve as a token reward mechanism, but it has been compromised to include harmful scripts that can affect developers and their projects.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the official_manatee_z3n package stems from malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can inflate developer reputation scores fraudulently and lead to the distribution of compromised packages across the ecosystem, potentially affecting numerous projects that rely on npm.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall official_manatee_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 remove the official_manatee_z3n package from your project by executing: npm uninstall official_manatee_z3n. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a safe version is available.
Conclusion
The official_manatee_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise projects using it. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard your development environment. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in monitoring and managing vulnerabilities effectively.
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FAQ
The official_manatee_z3n package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been compromised to include malicious scripts.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, removes private flags, and can lead to the publication of compromised packages, affecting the integrity of your project.
You should uninstall the official_manatee_z3n package immediately and check for any unauthorized changes in your project files.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file. You can check your application for vulnerabilities without signing up at the Vulert playground.
Regularly update your packages, monitor for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert, and review the packages you include in your projects for any known issues.
