Malicious Code Injection in religious_termite_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96283: Malicious code in religious_termite_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'religious_termite_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 are often used to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious scripts that compromise its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the 'religious_termite_z3n' package stems from its inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages contain scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly install these compromised packages, leading to potential security breaches and loss of trust in the ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall religious_termite_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 'religious_termite_z3n' package and instead look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your package dependencies for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The 'religious_termite_z3n' package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is essential for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their projects.
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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 installation of malicious code, which may compromise your project's security and integrity.
You should immediately remove the 'religious_termite_z3n' package from your project and monitor for any signs of compromise.
You can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities in real-time, alerting you to any issues.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
