Malicious Code Injection in pgpwox-devapptea: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-107064: Malicious code in pgpwox-devapptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
pgpwox-devapptea is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate token rewards through various automated scripts. However, this package has been identified as malicious, containing scripts that manipulate package metadata and flood the npm registry with derivative packages, potentially harming developers' reputations and the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in pgpwox-devapptea originates from its inclusion in a campaign that aims to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation and publication of numerous derivative packages. The malicious payload alters the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and creating random package names. This not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk of unintentional dependency on compromised packages, leading to further security issues.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall pgpwox-devappteaIf 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 pgpwox-devapptea package and any packages that depend on it. Regularly audit your project's dependencies using tools like npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The pgpwox-devapptea package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code that manipulates package metadata and floods the registry with unwanted derivatives. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and utilize tools like Vulert for ongoing vulnerability monitoring.
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FAQ
The main risk is that it contains malicious scripts that can modify your project's package.json file, leading to the publication of unwanted derivative packages and potential security vulnerabilities.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. By uploading your package-lock.json file, you can check for vulnerabilities without needing to install any software.
If you have installed pgpwox-devapptea, it is recommended to uninstall it immediately using the command npm uninstall pgpwox-devapptea and audit your project for any other vulnerabilities.
Currently, there are no patches available for pgpwox-devapptea as it is a malicious package. The best course of action is to remove it from your project.
To prevent similar vulnerabilities, regularly audit your dependencies, use trusted sources for packages, and consider using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in real-time.
