Malicious Code Injection in regional_chicken_z3n Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-96237: Malicious code in regional_chicken_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The regional_chicken_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. However, it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that alter package configurations.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's involvement in a token reward scheme that exploits npm's publishing system. The malicious code modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can potentially harm developers by affecting their reputation and project integrity.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall regional_chicken_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 prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to lock your dependencies. Additionally, consider using the following command to audit your packages for vulnerabilities: npm audit.
Conclusion
The regional_chicken_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise your project's integrity. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain a secure development environment.
See every vulnerability recorded for regional_chicken_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the modification of your package.json file, potentially harming your project's integrity and reputation.
You should remove the regional_chicken_z3n package from your project immediately and monitor for any updates or patches.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without requiring any signup.
