Malicious Code Injection in powerful_sole_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-95963: Malicious code in powerful_sole_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The powerful_sole_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, primarily used for various JavaScript functionalities. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. This package is designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts, which can lead to significant security risks.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's involvement in the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which employs scripts to automatically generate and publish numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This malicious behavior modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and continuously republishes variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry. The ramifications include potential exposure of sensitive data, compromised application integrity, and a degraded developer reputation due to the proliferation of untrustworthy packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall powerful_sole_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 powerful_sole_z3n package and replace it with a trusted alternative that provides similar functionality. Always verify the integrity and reputation of packages before including them in your project.
Conclusion
The powerful_sole_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm registry behaviors. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of your applications.
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FAQ
The powerful_sole_z3n package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at manipulating developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the exposure of sensitive data, compromise the integrity of your application, and contribute to the pollution of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the powerful_sole_z3n package immediately and replace it with a trusted alternative.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor and alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. You can check your application against this vulnerability using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Vulert is a tool that monitors open-source vulnerabilities using just the package-lock.json file, providing real-time alerts for any issues detected.
