Malicious Code Injection in Respectable Snail Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-107956: Malicious code in respectable_snail_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'respectable_snail_z3n' package is part of the npm ecosystem, often associated with token reward campaigns that exploit the npm registry. This package is designed to generate and publish derivative packages automatically, which can inflate developer reputation scores. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially affecting developers who rely on the integrity of npm packages. The malicious code is part of a broader scheme to exploit the npm ecosystem for token rewards.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall respectable_snail_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 installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. Ensure that you do not install any packages that are not explicitly listed in your package.json file. You can also use the following command to audit your dependencies: 'npm audit'.
Conclusion
The 'respectable_snail_z3n' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with harmful variants. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies to maintain the integrity of your projects.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with token reward campaigns that has been identified to contain malicious code.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project's dependencies.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall respectable_snail_z3n' and review your dependencies for any other malicious packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
