Malicious Code Injection in rival-poke89 Package
Summary
MAL-2025-165076: Malicious code in rival-poke89 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The rival-poke89 package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package, like many others, is intended 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 publishing numerous derivative packages with altered metadata, thereby inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the rival-poke89 package stems from its association with a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can compromise the integrity of applications relying on this package. The malicious code is designed to execute autopublish scripts that automate the creation of these harmful derivatives.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall rival-poke89If 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 the rival-poke89 package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your dependencies using tools like npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The rival-poke89 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with harmful variants. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies to maintain the security of their applications.
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FAQ
The rival-poke89 package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at manipulating the npm registry.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall the rival-poke89 package immediately using the command npm uninstall rival-poke89.
Yes, 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 use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
