Malicious Code Injection in patterson-soluble-pot: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-106990: Malicious code in patterson-soluble-pot (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'patterson-soluble-pot' is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate the npm registry by creating and publishing numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores for rewards associated with the tea protocol, making it a significant concern for developers relying on npm for package management.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'patterson-soluble-pot' involves malicious code that alters the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This results in the continuous republishing of variants that pollute the npm registry. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which exploits npm's publishing mechanisms to create a flood of derivative packages, potentially compromising 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 patterson-soluble-potIf 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 'patterson-soluble-pot' package and monitor your project for any dependencies that may indirectly include it. Use the following command to check your package-lock.json for any references: 'grep patterson-soluble-pot package-lock.json'.
Conclusion
The 'patterson-soluble-pot' package poses a significant risk to npm users due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies regularly to maintain the integrity of your projects.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to manipulate the npm registry.
The malicious code can compromise your project's integrity by modifying package.json and flooding the npm registry with unwanted packages.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall patterson-soluble-pot' and check your project for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without signing up.
