Malicious Code Injection in patient_swordtail_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-95866: Malicious code in patient_swordtail_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The patient_swordtail_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 for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the patient_swordtail_z3n package originates from its association with a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the security of applications that depend on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall patient_swordtail_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 remove the package from your dependencies and replace its functionality with an alternative package that does not exhibit malicious behavior. Use the following command to uninstall the package: npm uninstall patient_swordtail_z3n.
Conclusion
The patient_swordtail_z3n package contains malicious code that poses a significant risk to applications using it. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor for any updates or patches. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in identifying and managing vulnerabilities in your project.
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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 file, remove private flags, and continuously republish variants, leading to potential security risks.
You should uninstall the patient_swordtail_z3n package immediately and monitor for any updates or patches.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
