Malicious Code Injection in rival-poke26 Package: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-165007: Malicious code in rival-poke26 (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 rival-poke26 package is part of a larger ecosystem within npm, which is a popular package manager for JavaScript. This package, like many others, is designed to facilitate the development of applications by providing reusable code. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that aims to exploit the npm registry by flooding it with derivative packages that can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. The presence of such malicious packages poses a significant risk to developers and users who rely on npm for their projects.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the rival-poke26 package stems from its association with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package contains scripts that automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, effectively polluting the npm registry. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers, allowing these packages to be republished continuously. This not only compromises the integrity of the npm ecosystem but also exposes users to potential security risks, as they may inadvertently install these malicious packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall rival-poke26If 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 avoid using the rival-poke26 package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Always verify the integrity and reputation of packages before including them in your project.
Conclusion
The rival-poke26 package poses a significant threat to users of the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code designed to exploit the registry. It is essential for developers to be vigilant about the packages they use, regularly update their dependencies, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities. By taking proactive measures, you can safeguard your projects from potential security risks.
See every vulnerability recorded for rival-poke26 →
FAQ
The rival-poke26 package is a JavaScript package available on npm that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to exploit the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of malicious code that may compromise your project's security and integrity, potentially exposing sensitive data.
You should immediately uninstall the rival-poke26 package using 'npm uninstall rival-poke26' and review your project's dependencies for any other vulnerabilities.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities. You can check your application using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Yes, you should look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality but do not have the associated risks of malicious code.
