Malicious Code Injection in rival-poke42: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-165025: Malicious code in rival-poke42 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
rival-poke42 is an npm package that appears to be part of a broader malicious campaign targeting the npm registry. This package is designed to manipulate the npm ecosystem by generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names, thereby inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards. The malicious nature of this package poses significant risks to developers and users relying on npm for package management.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in rival-poke42 originates from its association with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It contains scripts that automatically 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 compromises the integrity of the packages, potentially leading to security risks for users who inadvertently install these malicious derivatives.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall rival-poke42If 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 rival-poke42 and any packages that depend on it. Regularly audit your npm packages using tools like npm audit to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The rival-poke42 package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code designed to manipulate package integrity. It is essential for developers to remain vigilant, regularly audit their dependencies, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities. Taking immediate action to remove affected packages is crucial for maintaining a secure development environment.
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FAQ
rival-poke42 is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to manipulate the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of malicious packages that compromise your project's security and integrity.
You should uninstall rival-poke42 immediately using 'npm uninstall rival-poke42' and audit your project for any other vulnerabilities.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
