Malicious Code Injection in smooth_grouse_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96645: Malicious code in smooth_grouse_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The smooth_grouse_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 its integrity and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants that pollute the npm registry, potentially affecting other developers and users by introducing unreliable or harmful packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall smooth_grouse_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the smooth_grouse_z3n package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The smooth_grouse_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor their applications for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
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FAQ
smooth_grouse_z3n is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the publication of derivative packages.
The package modifies package.json files, removes private flags, changes version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to pollution of the npm registry.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check your application without needing to sign up.
You should uninstall the smooth_grouse_z3n package immediately using the command: npm uninstall smooth_grouse_z3n.
Yes, you should look for other npm packages that provide similar functionality without the security risks associated with smooth_grouse_z3n.
