Malicious Code Exploit in Salty Sloth Silentdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-108343: Malicious code in salty_sloth-silentdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The 'salty_sloth-silentdev' package is part of the npm ecosystem, often utilized for various development tasks. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. This package is designed to inflate developer reputation scores through automated scripts that publish numerous variants of itself, potentially compromising the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's involvement in the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which employs autopublish scripts to generate and publish numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This malicious behavior modifies the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and continuously republishing variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry and potential security risks for developers relying on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall salty_sloth-silentdevIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can remove the 'salty_sloth-silentdev' package from your project by executing: 'npm uninstall salty_sloth-silentdev'. This will prevent any malicious code from executing while you seek a secure alternative.
Conclusion
The 'salty_sloth-silentdev' package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses significant risks to developers and the integrity of the npm registry. It is crucial to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard your projects.
See every vulnerability recorded for salty_sloth-silentdev →
FAQ
The vulnerability involves malicious code that modifies package.json files and floods the npm registry with derivative packages.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check your application without any signup.
Using this package can lead to security risks such as exposure to malicious code and pollution of the npm registry, which can affect other developers.
Regularly audit your dependencies and use tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your packages.
If immediate updates are not possible, consider removing the package and replacing it with a secure alternative until a fix is available.
