Malicious Code Injection in repulsive_elephant_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107917: Malicious code in repulsive_elephant_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The repulsive_elephant_z3n package is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate the npm registry by generating and publishing numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards, making the package highly susceptible to malicious exploitation.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the repulsive_elephant_z3n package stems from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This results in the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can lead to security risks for developers who unknowingly use these compromised packages. The malicious payload can compromise the integrity of applications relying on this package, potentially leading to further exploitation.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall repulsive_elephant_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 use of the repulsive_elephant_z3n package by removing it from your dependencies. You can do this by executing the following command: npm uninstall repulsive_elephant_z3n.
Conclusion
The repulsive_elephant_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with compromised packages. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by updating or removing this package to safeguard their applications.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the generation of numerous derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, compromising its integrity and security.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check for any updates or patches. If no patches are available, consider removing it from your project.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor and alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software by analyzing your package-lock.json file.
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