Malicious Code Injection in rival-poke48: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-165031: Malicious code in rival-poke48 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
rival-poke48 is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign targeting the npm registry. This package is associated with the tea.xyz token reward initiative, which aims to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. The malicious nature of this package lies in its ability to modify its own metadata and continuously republish variants, thereby polluting the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in rival-poke48 stems from its inclusion in a broader malicious campaign that utilizes autopublish scripts to create numerous derivative packages with randomized names. These scripts modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate misleading package names. The continuous republishing of these variants can lead to a cluttered npm registry, making it difficult for developers to find legitimate packages and potentially compromising the integrity of the ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall rival-poke48If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using rival-poke48 and any other packages that may be part of the malicious campaign. Additionally, consider using npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities in your project dependencies.
Conclusion
The rival-poke48 package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious code designed to manipulate package metadata and republish variants. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their applications.
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FAQ
rival-poke48 is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the creation of derivative packages.
The malicious code can modify your package.json file, remove private flags, and continuously republish variants, leading to a polluted npm registry and potential security risks.
You should uninstall rival-poke48 immediately using the command 'npm uninstall rival-poke48' and check for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities in your software by analyzing your package-lock.json.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
