Malicious Code Injection in profound_marten_z3n: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-107325: Malicious code in profound_marten_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package profound_marten_z3n 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. Its functionality is compromised due to the presence of malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in profound_marten_z3n originates from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. These packages contain scripts that modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior can lead to pollution of the npm registry, making it difficult for developers to find legitimate packages and potentially compromising the integrity of their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall profound_marten_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 profound_marten_z3n package from your project by executing the following command: npm uninstall profound_marten_z3n. This will prevent any malicious scripts from executing in your environment until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The profound_marten_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that manipulates package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by uninstalling the package and monitoring their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their applications.
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FAQ
Profound_marten_z3n is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, making it difficult to find legitimate packages and potentially compromising the security and integrity of your application.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check for any updates or patches that may address the vulnerability.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software by analyzing your package-lock.json file. You can also check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Regularly updating your dependencies, using tools like Vulert for monitoring, and conducting security audits can help prevent vulnerabilities in your projects.
