Malicious Code Injection in rival-poke96: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-165084: Malicious code in rival-poke96 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'rival-poke96' is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. It is often utilized in various applications to enhance functionality and streamline development processes. However, this package has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that aims to inflate developer reputation scores through the generation of derivative packages with randomized names.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'rival-poke96' originates from its association with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package contains malicious scripts that modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. The scripts continuously republish these variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the integrity of the ecosystem. The ramifications include the risk of developers unknowingly using compromised packages, which can lead to security breaches and loss of trust in the npm registry.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall rival-poke96If 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-poke96' package and instead look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can implement package-lock.json monitoring to detect vulnerabilities in your dependencies.
Conclusion
The 'rival-poke96' package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that alters package configurations and repackages them. Developers should take immediate action to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert. Staying informed and proactive is essential to maintaining the security of your applications.
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FAQ
The vulnerability involves malicious code that modifies package.json and repackages it under random names, leading to potential security risks.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Check your application against this vulnerability using the Vulert playground.
You should immediately remove the package from your project and check for any other affected packages.
While specific exploits have not been detailed, the potential for abuse exists due to the nature of the malicious scripts involved.
While many packages are safe, it is crucial to regularly monitor and audit your dependencies for vulnerabilities, as the npm ecosystem can be targeted by malicious actors.
