Malicious Code Injection in subjective_dingo_z3n: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-96830: Malicious code in subjective_dingo_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'subjective_dingo_z3n' is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. The malicious nature of this package lies in its ability to alter critical files and continuously pollute the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'subjective_dingo_z3n' originates from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and changes version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants. This behavior not only compromises the integrity of the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these tainted packages, leading to potential security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall subjective_dingo_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, avoid using the 'subjective_dingo_z3n' package and monitor your dependencies for any similar malicious packages. You can also utilize tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities. To check if your application is affected by this vulnerability, you can use the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The 'subjective_dingo_z3n' package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior of altering package files and republishing tainted versions. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant and remove such packages from their projects to maintain security and integrity.
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FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your project, compromising its security and integrity.
Immediately uninstall the package using 'npm uninstall subjective_dingo_z3n' and check your project for any dependencies that may be affected.
Yes, regularly monitor your dependencies using tools like Vulert, which can alert you to open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
