Malicious Code Injection in sharp_chinchilla_z3n Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-90477: Malicious code in sharp_chinchilla_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The sharp_chinchilla_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. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the sharp_chinchilla_z3n package stems from its inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. The malicious code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. This not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall sharp_chinchilla_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can temporarily avoid using the sharp_chinchilla_z3n package by removing it from your dependencies. You can do this by executing the following command: npm uninstall sharp_chinchilla_z3n. Additionally, consider using alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The sharp_chinchilla_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the npm registry and poses risks to developers. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and monitor for any updates or patches. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help you stay informed about vulnerabilities in your dependencies.
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FAQ
The sharp_chinchilla_z3n package is an npm package involved in the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which aims to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, potentially exposing your application to security vulnerabilities and causing it to republish compromised packages to the npm registry.
If you have installed the sharp_chinchilla_z3n package, you should uninstall it immediately and monitor your application for any unusual behavior.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by the sharp_chinchilla_z3n vulnerability without requiring any signup.
