Malicious Code Injection in Suitable Hare Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-90795: Malicious code in suitable_hare_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'suitable_hare_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 the integrity 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, polluting the npm registry and potentially affecting other developers and users by inflating reputation scores artificially. The malicious scripts (auto.js, autopublish.js, etc.) are designed to automate this process, making it difficult for users to detect the issue without proper monitoring.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall suitable_hare_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 'suitable_hare_z3n' package and monitor your project for any dependencies that may have been affected by this malicious code. Regularly check your package-lock.json file for any unauthorized changes.
Conclusion
The 'suitable_hare_z3n' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with unauthorized variants. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their projects for any signs of compromise.
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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 can compromise your project's integrity by modifying package.json and republishing variants, which can lead to reputation inflation and potential security risks.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time. You can also check your application using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Currently, there is no patched version available for the 'suitable_hare_z3n' package. It is recommended to uninstall the package until a fix is released.
Uninstall the package immediately and monitor your project for any unauthorized changes. Regularly review your dependencies for potential vulnerabilities.
