Malicious Code Injection in surprised_flyingfish_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-109341: Malicious code in surprised_flyingfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The surprised_flyingfish_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 scripts that compromise its integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the surprised_flyingfish_z3n package stems from its inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages contain scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk of unintentional dependency on compromised packages, leading to potential security breaches in applications that utilize them.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall surprised_flyingfish_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 surprised_flyingfish_z3n package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The surprised_flyingfish_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package configurations and floods the npm registry. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and monitor for any vulnerabilities to maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
It is an npm package linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You should uninstall the surprised_flyingfish_z3n package immediately to mitigate any risks associated with its use.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without needing to sign up.
