Malicious Code Injection in partial_bobolink_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-95845: Malicious code in partial_bobolink_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The partial_bobolink_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 can inflate developer reputation scores. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the partial_bobolink_z3n package stems from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior is intended to pollute the npm registry and can lead to significant security risks, including the potential for dependency confusion and the introduction of further malicious packages into projects that rely on this ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall partial_bobolink_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 avoid using the partial_bobolink_z3n package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can use tools like 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 partial_bobolink_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses significant risks to projects using it. Immediate action is required to uninstall the package and monitor for any further vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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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 malicious code can modify your package.json, remove private flags, and introduce random package names, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities.
You should uninstall the package immediately using npm uninstall partial_bobolink_z3n and check your package-lock.json for any references.
Currently, there is no patched version available. The best course of action is to remove the package entirely.
You can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check your application.
