Malicious Code Injection in rival-poke22: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-165003: Malicious code in rival-poke22 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The package 'rival-poke22' is part of a series of malicious packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. The primary functionality of these packages is to manipulate the npm registry, leading to potential security risks for users who unknowingly install them.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'rival-poke22' originates from its malicious code, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk of unintentional exposure of sensitive information and undermines the integrity of the npm ecosystem. The malicious payload is designed to continuously republish variants, making it difficult for users to identify and remove the threat.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall rival-poke22If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to scan your project for vulnerabilities. You can check your application for this specific vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The 'rival-poke22' package poses a significant threat to npm users due to its malicious code designed to manipulate the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant, regularly update their dependencies, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities. Immediate action should be taken to remove any instances of this package to safeguard your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for rival-poke22 →
FAQ
'rival-poke22' is a malicious npm package that is part of a campaign to inflate developer reputation scores by flooding the npm registry with derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the exposure of sensitive information and the pollution of the npm registry, potentially affecting the integrity of your project's dependencies.
You should immediately remove the package from your project and check for any other potentially malicious packages.
Regularly update your dependencies, use tools like Vulert to monitor vulnerabilities, and review your package-lock.json for any suspicious packages.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check your application for vulnerabilities without needing to sign up.
