Malicious Code Injection in preliminary_herring_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107206: Malicious code in preliminary_herring_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The preliminary_herring_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publishing of derivative packages. It aims to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, but it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that can harm the npm registry and developers' projects.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the preliminary_herring_z3n package stems from its malicious code, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising other packages. The origin of this issue is linked to a broader trend of malicious packages flooding the npm ecosystem, specifically targeting developers involved in the tea protocol token rewards.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall preliminary_herring_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 preliminary_herring_z3n package and monitor your project for any dependencies that may have been affected by this malicious package. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to scan your project for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The preliminary_herring_z3n package contains malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and monitor for any vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert. Staying informed and proactive can help protect your applications from such threats.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, removes private flags, and can lead to the pollution of the npm registry with unwanted packages.
You should uninstall the preliminary_herring_z3n package immediately using the command: npm uninstall preliminary_herring_z3n.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
