Malicious Code Injection in tasty_chicken_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-109512: Malicious code in tasty_chicken_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The tasty_chicken_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package, like many others, is intended to facilitate the development of applications by providing reusable code components. However, it has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that aims to manipulate the npm registry and inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the tasty_chicken_z3n package stems from its association with a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and change version numbers. This allows the package to generate random names and continuously republish itself, polluting the npm registry. The malicious payload can lead to security risks, including the potential for unauthorized access to sensitive data and the degradation of the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tasty_chicken_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 tasty_chicken_z3n package and replace it with a trusted alternative that provides similar functionality. Always verify the source and reputation of any package before including it in your project.
Conclusion
The tasty_chicken_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with harmful variants. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies to maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
The tasty_chicken_z3n package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign to manipulate the npm registry.
This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data and can compromise the integrity of your application by introducing malicious code.
You should uninstall the tasty_chicken_z3n package immediately and replace it with a trusted alternative.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
