Malicious Code Injection in pale_chickadee_0xrequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-106882: Malicious code in pale_chickadee_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The pale_chickadee_0xrequest package is part of the npm ecosystem, primarily used for various JavaScript 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, which can lead to significant security risks.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's involvement in the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which employs autopublish scripts to generate and publish numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This malicious behavior modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and continuously republishing variants, which can lead to pollution of the npm registry and potential exploitation of developers' environments.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall pale_chickadee_0xrequestIf 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 adding it to your project's .npmrc file with the following line: 'package-lock=false'. This will help avoid automatic installations of vulnerable packages.
Conclusion
The pale_chickadee_0xrequest package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm registry behaviors. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor for any updates to maintain the integrity of your development environment.
See every vulnerability recorded for pale_chickadee_0xrequest →
FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of your npm registry and potential exploitation of your development environment, compromising security.
You should remove the pale_chickadee_0xrequest package from your project 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.
Vulert is a tool that monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just the package-lock.json file, ensuring your software remains secure.
