Malicious Code Injection in polite_crab-biggestdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107125: Malicious code in polite_crab-biggestdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The polite_crab-biggestdev package 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 generating and publishing numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for tea protocol token rewards. The package's functionality is compromised due to its malicious intent, posing risks to developers and users relying on npm for package management.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's design, which includes autopublish scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags and change version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to a significant increase in malicious packages, making it difficult for developers to find legitimate packages and potentially exposing users to security risks.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall polite_crab-biggestdevIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, avoid using the polite_crab-biggestdev package and consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. You can also monitor your project for any unauthorized changes to the package.json file.
Conclusion
The polite_crab-biggestdev package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry with derivative packages. It is essential for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain a secure development environment.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through the creation of numerous derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the proliferation of malicious packages in your project, making it difficult to manage dependencies and potentially exposing your application to security risks.
You should uninstall the polite_crab-biggestdev package immediately and check your project for any unauthorized changes.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time, alerting you to any issues.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
