Malicious Code Injection in passing_wren-smiletea: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-106932: Malicious code in passing_wren-smiletea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'passing_wren-smiletea' is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm ecosystem with malicious packages. These packages are designed to manipulate npm's publishing process, often containing scripts that automatically generate and publish derivative packages. This behavior can lead to a significant pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of the software supply chain.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'passing_wren-smiletea' stems from its inclusion in a campaign that employs autopublish scripts to create and publish numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This malicious activity modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and continuously republishes variants, thereby inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards. The ramifications include potential exposure of sensitive data, dependency confusion, and a compromised npm registry.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall passing_wren-smileteaIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the 'passing_wren-smiletea' package and replace it with a trusted alternative. Additionally, you can monitor your project for any unauthorized changes in the package.json file.
Conclusion
The 'passing_wren-smiletea' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate the npm registry. It is essential for developers to be vigilant about the packages they use and to take immediate action to remove any compromised packages. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in maintaining the security of your software projects.
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FAQ
'passing_wren-smiletea' is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at manipulating the npm registry.
This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized changes in your project's dependencies, potentially exposing your application to security risks.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall passing_wren-smiletea' and review your project's dependencies for any other malicious packages.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use trusted sources for packages, and consider using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in real-time.
Vulert monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just the package-lock.json file. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground without any signup.
