Malicious Code Injection in professional_crow_z3n: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-107310: Malicious code in professional_crow_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package professional_crow_z3n is part of a series of npm packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. This behavior poses significant risks to the integrity of the npm registry and the security of applications relying on these packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in professional_crow_z3n stems from its malicious code that 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, which pollutes the npm registry and can compromise the security of applications that inadvertently depend on these malicious packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has flooded the npm ecosystem with such malicious packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall professional_crow_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 avoid using the professional_crow_z3n package and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz campaign. Regularly audit your package.json and package-lock.json files to identify and remove any suspicious packages.
Conclusion
The professional_crow_z3n package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant about the packages they use and to regularly audit their dependencies. By removing this package and utilizing tools like Vulert, developers can enhance the security of their applications.
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FAQ
professional_crow_z3n is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through automated package publishing.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall the professional_crow_z3n package immediately and review your project for any other potentially harmful packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
