Malicious Code Injection in silky_cow-appteadev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-108677: Malicious code in silky_cow-appteadev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The silky_cow-appteadev package is part of the npm ecosystem, primarily used for application development. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to manipulate the npm registry by generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names, thereby inflating developer reputation scores.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in silky_cow-appteadev arises from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to significant security risks, including the potential for dependency confusion and the introduction of malicious code into legitimate projects.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall silky_cow-appteadevIf 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 malicious package by using npm's package-lock.json file to monitor dependencies. Ensure that your project does not include silky_cow-appteadev in its dependencies. You can also use tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities in real-time.
Conclusion
The silky_cow-appteadev package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious behavior of modifying package.json files and republishing variants to the npm registry. It is crucial to remove this package from your project and monitor for any vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, known for flooding the npm registry with malicious packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your project, potentially compromising security and functionality.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall silky_cow-appteadev' and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just 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 any signup.
