Malicious Code Injection in quickest_woodpecker-excellentdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107657: Malicious code in quickest_woodpecker-excellentdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The quickest_woodpecker-excellentdev package is part of the npm ecosystem, designed for developers to enhance their applications. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that exploits npm's publishing capabilities. This package is involved in generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names, aimed at inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a token reward campaign that floods npm with malicious packages. It contains scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, change version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the integrity of applications that depend on this package.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall quickest_woodpecker-excellentdevIf 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 remove the quickest_woodpecker-excellentdev package from your project by executing the command: 'npm uninstall quickest_woodpecker-excellentdev'. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The quickest_woodpecker-excellentdev package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise applications. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by updating or uninstalling the package to protect their projects from potential threats.
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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 through automated publishing of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the injection of malicious code into your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should immediately update or uninstall the quickest_woodpecker-excellentdev package to mitigate the risk of exploitation.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without needing to sign up.
