Malicious Code Injection in Respectable Crayfish Dumbs Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107951: Malicious code in respectable_crayfish_dumbs (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'respectable_crayfish_dumbs' package is part of the npm ecosystem and was initially 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 identified as containing malicious scripts that compromise its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. It contains 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 use these compromised packages, leading to potential security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall respectable_crayfish_dumbsIf 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 'respectable_crayfish_dumbs' package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can monitor your project for any unintended dependencies that may include this package.
Conclusion
The 'respectable_crayfish_dumbs' package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package configurations and pollutes the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor for any related vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their applications.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with a token reward campaign that has been identified as containing malicious code.
The malicious code can compromise your application's integrity by modifying package configurations and introducing potentially harmful dependencies.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check your project for any dependencies that may have been affected.
No patch is available for this specific package; the recommended action is to uninstall it.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities in real-time. You can also check your application using the Vulert playground without needing to sign up.
