Malicious Code Injection in protestant_asp_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107378: Malicious code in protestant_asp_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The protestant_asp_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, often utilized in JavaScript applications. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with various packages. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the protestant_asp_z3n package stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and change version numbers. It generates random package names, predominantly themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to potential security risks, including the exposure of sensitive information and the degradation of the npm ecosystem's integrity.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall protestant_asp_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 avoid using the protestant_asp_z3n package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can monitor your project for any unauthorized changes to package.json.
Conclusion
The protestant_asp_z3n package contains malicious code that poses significant risks to applications using it. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your project for any unauthorized changes. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your software.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, known for manipulating developer reputation scores.
It can lead to unauthorized modifications in your package.json file, potentially exposing sensitive information and degrading the integrity of your npm dependencies.
Currently, there is no patched version available for the protestant_asp_z3n package.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json file. You can also check your application against this vulnerability using the Vulert playground.
You should uninstall the protestant_asp_z3n package immediately and check for any dependencies that may be affected.
