Malicious Code Injection in professional_dolphin-smiletea Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107311: Malicious code in professional_dolphin-smiletea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The professional_dolphin-smiletea package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to interact with the npm registry, but it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata. The vulnerability arises from its ability to automatically generate and publish derivative packages, which can lead to reputation inflation and registry pollution.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the professional_dolphin-smiletea package is rooted in its malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior is intended to create numerous derivative packages that clutter the npm registry and can potentially mislead developers and users. The origin of this issue is linked to a broader campaign that exploits npm for token rewards, making it a significant concern for developers relying on the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall professional_dolphin-smileteaIf 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_dolphin-smiletea package until a fix is confirmed. Additionally, consider using npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities in your project dependencies.
Conclusion
The professional_dolphin-smiletea package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and their projects. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or removing the package and utilizing tools like Vulert for ongoing vulnerability monitoring.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to interact with the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the proliferation of malicious packages in your project, potentially compromising its integrity and security.
You should remove the package and update your dependencies to eliminate any potential risks associated with the vulnerability.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without signing up.
