Malicious Code Injection in public_hamster-smiletea Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107415: Malicious code in public_hamster-smiletea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The public_hamster-smiletea package 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, often with randomized names. It aims to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, making it a target for malicious activities.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the public_hamster-smiletea package stems from its inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. The malicious code 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 integrity of applications relying on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall public_hamster-smileteaIf 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 prevent the installation of this package by using the following command to uninstall it: npm uninstall public_hamster-smiletea. Additionally, consider using a tool like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The public_hamster-smiletea package contains malicious code that can compromise your application's integrity. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can enhance your security posture by providing real-time alerts for open-source vulnerabilities.
See every vulnerability recorded for public_hamster-smiletea →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies package.json files, removes private flags, and republishes variants, which can lead to security vulnerabilities in your application.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check your application for vulnerabilities without needing to sign up.
You should uninstall the public_hamster-smiletea package immediately and check for any other affected packages in your project.
Using tools like Vulert can help monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time, allowing you to take action before issues arise.
