Malicious Code Injection in overseas_moose_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-95821: Malicious code in overseas_moose_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The overseas_moose_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for managing JavaScript packages. This package has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that aims to exploit the npm registry by flooding it with derivative packages. The primary functionality of this package is to serve as a token reward mechanism for the tea.xyz protocol, but it has been compromised to perform harmful actions.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the overseas_moose_z3n package originates from its association with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It contains scripts designed to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, which can inflate developer reputation scores. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and continuously republishing variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry and potential security risks for developers using these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall overseas_moose_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can temporarily avoid using the overseas_moose_z3n package by removing it from your dependencies and replacing it with a trusted alternative. Additionally, you can monitor your project for any malicious packages using tools like Vulert, which analyzes your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The overseas_moose_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that modifies package.json and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain a secure development environment.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to exploit the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise your project's security by introducing malicious code.
You should remove the overseas_moose_z3n package from your project immediately and monitor for any updates or patches.
Yes, you can use Vulert's playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without any signup.
Regularly monitor your dependencies using tools like Vulert and stay updated on security advisories related to the packages you use.
