Malicious Code Vulnerability in puny_leopard_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-98887: Malicious code in puny_leopard_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The puny_leopard_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate token rewards by generating and publishing derivative packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of applications that depend on it.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. It includes scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior can lead to pollution of the npm registry and potential exploitation of applications using this package, as it may inadvertently introduce insecure dependencies.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall puny_leopard_z3nIf 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 prevent the installation of this malicious package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. If you are using Vulert, you can check your application for vulnerabilities without requiring access to the code or installation. Use the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner to see if your application is affected by this vulnerability.
Conclusion
The puny_leopard_z3n package contains a serious vulnerability that can affect the security of applications relying on it. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for any potential threats. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in identifying vulnerabilities in real-time.
See every vulnerability recorded for puny_leopard_z3n →
FAQ
puny_leopard_z3n is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of insecure dependencies and pollution of the npm registry, potentially compromising your application's security.
You should remove the puny_leopard_z3n package from your project and monitor your dependencies for any related vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without needing to access the code.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
