Malicious Code Injection in separate_antlion_z3n Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-108549: Malicious code in separate_antlion_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The separate_antlion_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 automatic 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 the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the separate_antlion_z3n package originates from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to a significant increase in the number of malicious packages, potentially affecting developers and users relying on the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall separate_antlion_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 separate_antlion_z3n in its dependencies. You can also use tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities without requiring code access.
Conclusion
The separate_antlion_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry with harmful variants. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
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FAQ
The separate_antlion_z3n package 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 proliferation of malicious packages in the npm registry, potentially compromising your project's security and integrity.
If you have installed the separate_antlion_z3n package, you should uninstall it immediately using 'npm uninstall separate_antlion_z3n' and check for any dependencies that may be affected.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time by analyzing your package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
