Malicious Code Injection in outer_wildfowl_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-106834: Malicious code in outer_wildfowl_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 outer_wildfowl_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that aims to exploit the npm registry by flooding it with derivative packages. These packages typically contain scripts designed to manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the presence of malicious code within the outer_wildfowl_z3n package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to a campaign that uses autopublish scripts to create numerous derivative packages, ultimately polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the integrity of other packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall outer_wildfowl_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 workaround, you can temporarily prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to lock your dependencies. Additionally, consider using the following command to audit your project for vulnerabilities: npm audit.
Conclusion
The outer_wildfowl_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that manipulates package metadata. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your project for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your software.
See every vulnerability recorded for outer_wildfowl_z3n →
FAQ
The outer_wildfowl_z3n package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to manipulate the npm registry.
This vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise the integrity of your project's dependencies.
You should remove the outer_wildfowl_z3n package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without requiring any signup.
