Malicious Code Vulnerability in radical_sole_z3n: Exploitation of npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-107696: Malicious code in radical_sole_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package radical_sole_z3n is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to automate the 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 the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in radical_sole_z3n originates from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of these variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially affecting other developers and users relying on legitimate packages. The malicious scripts included in the package are designed to automate these actions, making it difficult for users to detect the threat.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall radical_sole_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can temporarily avoid using the radical_sole_z3n package and monitor your project for any dependencies that may have been affected by this vulnerability. Regularly check the npm registry for updates or patches related to this package.
Conclusion
The radical_sole_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor for any potential impacts on their applications. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in identifying vulnerabilities in real-time.
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FAQ
radical_sole_z3n is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting the integrity of other packages and potentially compromising your project's security.
You should uninstall the package immediately using npm uninstall radical_sole_z3n and check for any affected dependencies.
Currently, there is no specific patch for radical_sole_z3n. The best course of action is to remove the package from your project.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner without any signup.
