Malicious Code Vulnerability in rational_hookworm_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96191: Malicious code in rational_hookworm_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The rational_hookworm_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, its malicious nature poses significant risks to developers and the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the rational_hookworm_z3n package stems from its inclusion in a series of malicious packages that modify the package.json file to remove private flags and change 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 reputation damage for developers and compromise the security of applications relying on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall rational_hookworm_z3nIf 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 rational_hookworm_z3n package and replace it with a trusted alternative that provides similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The rational_hookworm_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious behavior of modifying package files and republishing variants. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their applications.
See every vulnerability recorded for rational_hookworm_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check your application without any signup.
You should uninstall the rational_hookworm_z3n package immediately and replace it with a trusted alternative.
No patches are available for the rational_hookworm_z3n package as it is recommended to remove it entirely from your project.
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