Malicious Code Injection in putri-poke12: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-164570: Malicious code in putri-poke12 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'putri-poke12' is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been linked to a series of malicious activities aimed at inflating developer reputation scores. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to automatically generate and publish derivative packages, making it a significant threat to the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'putri-poke12' stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior is intended to pollute the npm registry by continuously republishing variants, which can lead to a compromised development environment and potential exploitation of applications relying on these packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which employs autopublish scripts to automate the malicious activities.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall putri-poke12If 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 'putri-poke12' package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Always validate the source and integrity of packages before including them in your project.
Conclusion
The 'putri-poke12' package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code designed to manipulate package metadata and pollute the registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and to adopt best practices for package management to safeguard their applications.
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FAQ
The malicious code can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, compromising the integrity of applications that depend on affected packages.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Check your application against the vulnerability using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner.
There is no patch available for putri-poke12 as it is recommended to uninstall the package entirely due to its malicious nature.
Immediately uninstall the package using 'npm uninstall putri-poke12' and review your project for any dependencies that may have been affected.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use trusted sources for packages, and consider employing tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities.
