Malicious Code Injection in qualified_mandrill-notthedev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107635: Malicious code in qualified_mandrill-notthedev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The qualified_mandrill-notthedev package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is implicated in a malicious campaign that aims to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. The malicious behavior is primarily driven by scripts that modify the package's metadata and continuously republish variants to the npm registry, leading to potential pollution of the registry and risks for developers relying on these packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a broader malicious campaign associated with the tea.xyz token reward initiative. It includes scripts that alter the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior can lead to the proliferation of untrustworthy packages in the npm registry, potentially compromising the integrity of applications that depend on them. Developers may inadvertently install these malicious packages, exposing their projects to security risks.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall qualified_mandrill-notthedevIf 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 qualified_mandrill-notthedev package until a fixed version is released. Additionally, consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The qualified_mandrill-notthedev package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the security of applications using it. Developers are advised to update or remove the package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores.
If your application uses this package, it may inadvertently install malicious code that can compromise its security and integrity.
You should update the package to the latest version or remove it from your project to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
