Malicious Code Detected in Permanent Fly Z3N Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-95875: Malicious code in permanent_fly_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The 'permanent_fly_z3n' package is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. The functionality of these packages is compromised due to malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the presence of malicious code within the 'permanent_fly_z3n' package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches and loss of trust in the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall permanent_fly_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a workaround, you can prevent the installation of this malicious package by using npm's package-lock.json file to monitor your dependencies. Ensure that your project does not include 'permanent_fly_z3n' and regularly audit your dependencies for any malicious packages.
Conclusion
The 'permanent_fly_z3n' package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and the integrity of the npm registry. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and monitor your dependencies for similar vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for permanent_fly_z3n →
FAQ
The 'permanent_fly_z3n' package is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores by generating and publishing derivative packages.
This vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise your project's security if you inadvertently use affected packages.
You should uninstall the 'permanent_fly_z3n' package immediately and audit your project's dependencies for any other malicious packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
