Malicious Code Injection in reasonable_cicada_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-98902: Malicious code in reasonable_cicada_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The reasonable_cicada_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. The primary function of this package is to facilitate the generation and publication of derivative packages, but it has been compromised to include harmful scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the reasonable_cicada_z3n package originates from its design to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names. This malicious behavior includes modifying the package.json file to remove private flags, altering version numbers, and creating random package names. The continuous republishing of these variants leads to pollution of the npm registry, which can severely impact developers' reputation scores and the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall reasonable_cicada_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 prevent the installation of this malicious package by using the following command to uninstall it: npm uninstall reasonable_cicada_z3n. Additionally, ensure that your package-lock.json file does not reference this package.
Conclusion
The reasonable_cicada_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the integrity of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by removing the package and monitoring their projects for vulnerabilities.
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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 vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise your project's integrity and reputation.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check for any updates or patches.
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 for vulnerabilities without needing to sign up.
