Malicious Code Injection in tealove-aruma23 Package
Summary
MAL-2025-168078: Malicious code in tealove-aruma23 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The tealove-aruma23 package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages often contain scripts designed to manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. The tealove-aruma23 package specifically is designed to automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, compromising the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the tealove-aruma23 package originates from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. It removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which leads 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 install these compromised packages, potentially leading to further exploitation.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tealove-aruma23If 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 tealove-aruma23 package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, regularly audit your package dependencies using tools like npm audit to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The tealove-aruma23 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry with compromised packages. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant, remove any affected packages, and utilize tools like Vulert for ongoing monitoring of vulnerabilities.
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FAQ
The tealove-aruma23 package is part of a malicious campaign that aims to inflate developer reputation scores through the npm registry by publishing compromised packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of malicious code that modifies your project's package.json file, potentially compromising your application's integrity and security.
You should immediately uninstall the package using 'npm uninstall tealove-aruma23' and check for any dependencies that may be affected.
Yes, tools like Vulert can monitor your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
