Malicious Code Injection in Substantial Platypus Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96840: Malicious code in substantial_platypus_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The substantial_platypus_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 compromised to include malicious scripts that alter its functionality.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the presence of malicious code within the substantial_platypus_z3n package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall substantial_platypus_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 avoid using the substantial_platypus_z3n package altogether. If it is already installed, you can uninstall it using the command: npm uninstall substantial_platypus_z3n.
Conclusion
The substantial_platypus_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and their applications. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your projects for any vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your software.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file and can lead to the installation of compromised packages, potentially exposing your application to security vulnerabilities.
You should uninstall the substantial_platypus_z3n package immediately and monitor your project for any unusual behavior.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using your package-lock.json file. You can check your application for vulnerabilities without any signup at the Vulert playground.
Regularly update your packages, monitor for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert, and review your dependencies for any known issues.
