Malicious Code Injection in Parental Leopard Z3N Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-95840: Malicious code in parental_leopard_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'parental_leopard_z3n' package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which are often used to inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. The package's functionality is compromised due to malicious scripts that manipulate its metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
This vulnerability originates from the 'parental_leopard_z3n' package, which contains malicious code that modifies the package.json file. It removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of variants that pollute the npm registry. The ramifications include potential security risks for developers who unknowingly use these compromised packages, as well as damage to the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall parental_leopard_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 manually remove the package from your project by executing the following command in your terminal: npm uninstall parental_leopard_z3n. Additionally, consider using Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The 'parental_leopard_z3n' package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with compromised versions. It is crucial to remove this package from your project and utilize tools like Vulert for ongoing vulnerability monitoring.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the injection of malicious code, compromising the integrity of your project and potentially exposing it to security risks.
You should uninstall the 'parental_leopard_z3n' package immediately and monitor your project for any further vulnerabilities.
Regularly audit your dependencies and use tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your open-source packages.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without requiring any installation.
