Malicious Code Injection in residential_pheasant_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-89941: Malicious code in residential_pheasant_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The residential_pheasant_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate token rewards by generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious intent behind the residential_pheasant_z3n package, which includes scripts that automatically modify package.json files to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially affecting other developers by inflating reputation scores fraudulently. The malicious payload can also lead to unauthorized access and manipulation of project dependencies.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall residential_pheasant_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 avoid using the residential_pheasant_z3n package by removing it from your dependencies and replacing it with a trusted alternative. Additionally, you can monitor your package-lock.json file for any unauthorized changes.
Conclusion
The residential_pheasant_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters project files and pollutes the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain security and integrity.
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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's dependencies.
You should remove the residential_pheasant_z3n package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches.
You can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without signing up.
