Malicious Code Injection in Salty Hamster Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-108340: Malicious code in salty_hamster_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'salty_hamster_z3n' 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 compromised to include malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the 'salty_hamster_z3n' package originates from its association with a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. The malicious payload modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and potential exploitation by attackers who can leverage these packages for nefarious purposes.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall salty_hamster_z3nIf 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 file to monitor dependencies. Ensure that your project does not include 'salty_hamster_z3n' in its dependencies.
Conclusion
The 'salty_hamster_z3n' package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the integrity of your project. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain a secure development environment.
See every vulnerability recorded for salty_hamster_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may expose your project to security risks from malicious packages.
You should remove the 'salty_hamster_z3n' package from your project immediately and monitor for any updates or patches.
You can use Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert for monitoring, and stay updated on security advisories related to the packages you use.
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Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
