Malicious Code Injection in steady_eel_z3n: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-109102: Malicious code in steady_eel_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package steady_eel_z3n is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This campaign has been known to flood the npm registry with packages that contain malicious scripts. These scripts are designed to manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores, posing a significant risk to developers and users relying on npm packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in steady_eel_z3n originates from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that utilizes autopublish scripts. These scripts modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, which pollutes the npm registry and can compromise the integrity of the ecosystem. The malicious payload can affect developers by inflating reputation scores fraudulently and potentially introducing security risks to applications that depend on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall steady_eel_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 manually remove the steady_eel_z3n package from your project by running the command: npm uninstall steady_eel_z3n. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time.
Conclusion
The steady_eel_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm package metadata. It is essential for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the integrity of your software dependencies.
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FAQ
steady_eel_z3n is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at manipulating the npm registry.
The malicious code can alter your package metadata, inflate reputation scores, and introduce security risks by republishing compromised packages.
You should uninstall the package immediately and monitor your project for any other vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use trusted sources for packages, and employ tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
