Malicious Code Injection in Profitable Hookworm Requirement Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96046: Malicious code in profitable_hookworm_requirement (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'profitable_hookworm_requirement' package is part of a broader ecosystem of npm packages that have been associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package, like others in its category, is designed to facilitate automatic publishing of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, its functionality is compromised by the presence of malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from malicious code embedded within the 'profitable_hookworm_requirement' package. This code is designed to modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names that are often themed around Indonesian culture. The result is a continuous republishing of these variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can lead to significant reputational damage for developers and potential security risks for users who unknowingly install these compromised packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall profitable_hookworm_requirementIf 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 'profitable_hookworm_requirement' package from your project by executing: npm uninstall profitable_hookworm_requirement. This action will prevent any malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The 'profitable_hookworm_requirement' package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and users alike. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or uninstalling the package to safeguard your projects. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor and alert you to such vulnerabilities in real-time.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publishing of derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, potentially exposing your project to security risks and damaging your developer reputation.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
If an immediate update is not possible, consider uninstalling the package as a temporary measure to mitigate risks.
