Malicious Code Injection in rival-poke57: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-165041: Malicious code in rival-poke57 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
rival-poke57 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 by flooding the registry with derivative packages. The malicious nature of this package lies in its ability to modify critical files and republish itself under various names, thereby compromising the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in rival-poke57 stems from its malicious payload that alters the package.json file by removing private flags and changing version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior not only affects the reputation of developers but also poses a risk of dependency confusion and potential exploitation of applications relying on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall rival-poke57If 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-poke57 and any packages that depend on it. Review your package-lock.json file to identify and remove any references to this malicious package.
Conclusion
The rival-poke57 package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior of modifying package metadata and republishing itself. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant and remove any instances of this package from their projects. Regular monitoring and updates can help mitigate such vulnerabilities in the future.
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FAQ
rival-poke57 is an npm package identified as part of a malicious campaign that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry with derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to dependency confusion, where your application may inadvertently rely on malicious packages, compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall rival-poke57 immediately using the command 'npm uninstall rival-poke57' and review your dependencies for any other malicious packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source 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.
