Malicious Code Injection in representative_bee_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96299: Malicious code in representative_bee_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The representative_bee_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 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 its integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's design, which includes autopublish scripts that modify the package.json file by removing private flags and changing version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to significant security risks, including the potential for unauthorized access and manipulation of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall representative_bee_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 package from being used in your project by removing it from your package.json file and ensuring that no other packages depend on it. Additionally, consider using a tool like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The representative_bee_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial to remove this package from your project and monitor for any vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
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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 malicious code modifies your package.json file, potentially leading to unauthorized access and manipulation of your project dependencies.
You should uninstall the representative_bee_z3n package immediately and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
Currently, there is no patched version available. It is recommended to remove the package entirely.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
