Malicious Code Injection in primitive_chickadee_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107269: Malicious code in primitive_chickadee_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The primitive_chickadee_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 publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, 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 the security of dependent applications. The malicious scripts included in the package are designed to automate these processes, making it difficult for developers to detect the issue.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall primitive_chickadee_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 remove the primitive_chickadee_z3n package from your project if it is not essential. You can do this by executing the following command: npm uninstall primitive_chickadee_z3n. Additionally, consider using a tool like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities in real-time.
Conclusion
The primitive_chickadee_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to applications using it. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to ensure the security of your project. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in monitoring for such vulnerabilities effectively.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your application by introducing malicious code.
You should update the package to the latest version or remove it from your project to mitigate the risk.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
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