Malicious Code Injection in royal_octopus_0xrequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-108223: Malicious code in royal_octopus_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The royal_octopus_0xrequest package is part of the npm ecosystem, often utilized in JavaScript applications for various functionalities. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. This package is designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts, which can lead to significant security risks.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which employs scripts to automatically generate and publish numerous derivative packages. These scripts modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and creating random package names. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses risks 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 royal_octopus_0xrequestIf 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 royal_octopus_0xrequest package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can monitor your package dependencies using tools like Vulert to stay informed about any vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The royal_octopus_0xrequest package poses significant security risks due to its association with malicious publishing scripts. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and utilize monitoring tools like Vulert to stay updated on vulnerabilities in their dependencies.
See every vulnerability recorded for royal_octopus_0xrequest →
FAQ
It is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through automated publishing.
The vulnerability can lead to dependency confusion, potential exploitation, and pollution of the npm registry, which may compromise the security of your application.
You should uninstall the royal_octopus_0xrequest package immediately and check for any alternative packages that do not pose security risks.
You can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities. You can also check your application using the Vulert playground without any signup.
No, there is no patched version available for the royal_octopus_0xrequest package. The best course of action is to remove it from your project.
