Malicious Code Injection in round_caterpillar-excellentdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-108211: Malicious code in round_caterpillar-excellentdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The round_caterpillar-excellentdev package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from malicious code embedded within the round_caterpillar-excellentdev package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the automatic republishing of these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses risks to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to a broader campaign that exploits npm for token rewards, making it a significant concern for the open-source community.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall round_caterpillar-excellentdevIf 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 prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. Additionally, consider using the following command to audit your dependencies for vulnerabilities: npm audit.
Conclusion
The round_caterpillar-excellentdev package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of your projects.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code can modify your package.json, remove private flags, and republish variants, potentially compromising your project's integrity.
You should remove the round_caterpillar-excellentdev package immediately and monitor for any updates or patches.
You can use tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for real-time alerts on open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
