Malicious Code Vulnerability in polymeria-butys: Exploitation of npm Registry
Summary
MAL-2025-164495: Malicious code in polymeria-butys (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The polymeria-butys package is part of the npm ecosystem and has been implicated in a series of malicious activities associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. Its functionality is compromised by the presence of malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in polymeria-butys stems from its association with a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, leading to potential security breaches and loss of integrity in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall polymeria-butysIf 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 polymeria-butys package until a secure version is released. Additionally, consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The polymeria-butys package is associated with a significant vulnerability that can lead to the injection of malicious code into applications. It is crucial for developers to be aware of this issue, take necessary precautions, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor their projects for vulnerabilities.
See every vulnerability recorded for polymeria-butys →
FAQ
polymeria-butys is an npm package that has been linked to malicious activities aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the automatic publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
If you have installed polymeria-butys, it is recommended to remove it from your project and update to a secure version if available.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json. You can also check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without requiring any signup.
