Malicious Code Injection in prickly_cougar-apptea: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-107251: Malicious code in prickly_cougar-apptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
prickly_cougar-apptea is an npm package that appears to be part of a token reward campaign associated with the tea.xyz protocol. This package is designed to facilitate automatic publishing of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in prickly_cougar-apptea originates from its inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of variants. This not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly install these compromised packages, potentially leading to further exploitation.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall prickly_cougar-appteaIf 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 remove the prickly_cougar-apptea package from your project by executing: npm uninstall prickly_cougar-apptea. This will prevent any potential exploitation until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The prickly_cougar-apptea package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers using npm. It is crucial to update or remove this package to safeguard your projects from potential exploitation. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor your applications for such vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
prickly_cougar-apptea is an npm package involved in a token reward campaign that has been identified as containing malicious code.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of compromised packages, which may alter your project's dependencies and introduce security risks.
You can use Vulert, a tool that monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check your application without any signup.
If immediate updates are not possible, consider removing the package as a temporary measure to mitigate risks.
Detailed information can be found in the vulnerability report provided by Amazon Inspector, which outlines the specifics of the malicious code.
