Malicious Code Injection in rival-poke36: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-165018: Malicious code in rival-poke36 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The rival-poke36 package is part of a broader campaign that exploits npm's ecosystem by flooding it with malicious packages. These packages are designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through automated publishing of derivative packages. The malicious nature of rival-poke36 lies in its ability to alter package metadata and continuously republish variants, thereby polluting the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in rival-poke36 originates from its association with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It contains scripts that automatically modify the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This not only compromises the integrity of the npm registry but also poses risks to developers who may unknowingly use these malicious packages, leading to potential security breaches and loss of trust in the ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall rival-poke36If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary workaround, avoid using the rival-poke36 package and monitor your project's dependencies for any malicious packages. You can also utilize tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities. To check if your application is affected by this vulnerability, visit the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The rival-poke36 package poses a significant threat to npm users due to its malicious code designed to manipulate package metadata and pollute the npm registry. Immediate action is required to uninstall this package and monitor for any dependencies that may be affected. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in maintaining the security of your projects.
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FAQ
rival-poke36 is an npm package that has been identified as malicious, designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through automated publishing.
The malicious code alters your package.json file, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities and the pollution of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall rival-poke36' and check for any dependencies that may be affected.
Regularly monitor your dependencies using tools like Vulert, which can alert you to vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check your application for vulnerabilities without requiring any signup.
