Malicious Code Injection in Silky Skunk Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96591: Malicious code in silky_skunk_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The Silky Skunk Z3N package is part of the npm ecosystem, primarily used for JavaScript development. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with various packages. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing of derivative packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the Silky Skunk Z3N package arises from the presence of malicious code that modifies the package.json file. This code removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which aims to manipulate the npm registry for fraudulent purposes. The ramifications include potential pollution of the npm registry and compromise of developer reputation scores.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall silky_skunk_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 remove the Silky Skunk Z3N package from your project by executing: npm uninstall silky_skunk_z3n. This will prevent any malicious code from executing in your environment until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The Silky Skunk Z3N package is compromised by malicious code that alters its functionality and can harm your project's reputation. It is crucial to update or remove the package to mitigate risks. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor and alert you to such vulnerabilities in real-time.
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FAQ
Silky Skunk Z3N is an npm package that is part of a token reward campaign, which has been identified to contain malicious code.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, potentially compromising your project's integrity and reputation on the npm registry.
You can use Vulert, which monitors open-source vulnerabilities in your software. By uploading your package-lock.json file to the Vulert playground, you can check for vulnerabilities without any signup.
Regularly audit your dependencies and use tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in real-time.
If an immediate update is not possible, consider removing the package from your project as a temporary measure until a secure version is available.
