Malicious Code Injection in philosophical_heron_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-95889: Malicious code in philosophical_heron_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The philosophical_heron_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to manipulate npm's package registry by generating and publishing numerous derivative packages. Its primary function is to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, which can lead to a polluted npm registry and potential security risks for users.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the philosophical_heron_z3n package stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. This code removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture. The malicious payload continuously republishes these variants, which can lead to a significant increase in the number of untrusted packages in the npm registry, posing risks of dependency confusion and supply chain attacks.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall philosophical_heron_z3nIf 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 philosophical_heron_z3n package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can monitor your project for any unauthorized changes to the package.json file.
Conclusion
The philosophical_heron_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that modifies package.json and floods the npm registry with untrusted packages. It is crucial to uninstall this package and monitor your project for any unauthorized changes. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help you stay informed about vulnerabilities in your dependencies.
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FAQ
It is an npm package involved in the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which aims to inflate developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized changes in your package.json file and the introduction of untrusted packages, increasing security risks.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check your project for any unauthorized changes.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without signing up.
