Malicious Code Injection in quarrelsome_sole_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96143: Malicious code in quarrelsome_sole_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The quarrelsome_sole_z3n 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, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to significant security risks, including the potential for dependency confusion and the introduction of untrusted code into projects that rely on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall quarrelsome_sole_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
There are no specific workarounds for this vulnerability other than removing the affected package. Ensure that your project does not rely on this package or any of its derivatives.
Conclusion
The quarrelsome_sole_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to projects that utilize it. It is crucial to remove this package from your dependencies to maintain the security and integrity of your software. Regular monitoring for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert can help keep your projects safe.
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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 your package.json file and can introduce untrusted code, potentially compromising your project's security.
You should uninstall the quarrelsome_sole_z3n package immediately using the command: npm uninstall quarrelsome_sole_z3n.
No, it is recommended to remove the package entirely as it is known to contain malicious code.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using your package-lock.json file. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner without any signup.
