Malicious Code Injection in principal_turtle_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96026: Malicious code in principal_turtle_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The principal_turtle_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate token rewards by generating and publishing derivative packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious scripts that compromise its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious code embedded within the principal_turtle_z3n package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the automatic publication of numerous variants. This behavior not only inflates developer reputation scores for the tea protocol but also pollutes the npm registry, potentially affecting other developers and users relying on legitimate packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall principal_turtle_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can prevent the installation of this malicious package by using npm's package-lock.json file to lock your dependencies. Additionally, consider using the following command to audit your packages for vulnerabilities: npm audit.
Conclusion
The principal_turtle_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your project for vulnerabilities to maintain security.
See every vulnerability recorded for principal_turtle_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code can compromise your project by modifying package files and publishing unwanted variants, potentially leading to security risks.
You should immediately remove the principal_turtle_z3n package and audit your project for any other vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without needing to sign up.
