Malicious Code Injection in pitra-21: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-164290: Malicious code in pitra-21 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
pitra-21 is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign targeting the npm registry. This package is associated with the tea.xyz token reward initiative, which aims to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. The package's functionality is compromised, leading to significant risks for developers and users relying on it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in pitra-21 stems from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior not only compromises the integrity of the npm ecosystem but also poses risks of dependency confusion and potential exploitation of applications relying on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall pitra-21If 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 pitra-21 and any packages that depend on it. Regularly audit your dependencies using tools like npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities in your project.
Conclusion
The pitra-21 package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior. Developers should take immediate action to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for pitra-21 →
FAQ
pitra-21 is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the injection of malicious code into your project, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall pitra-21 immediately using npm uninstall pitra-21 and audit your project for any other vulnerabilities.
You can use tools like npm audit or services like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
