Malicious Code Injection in tealove-boy45 Package - npm Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-168153: Malicious code in tealove-boy45 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The tealove-boy45 package is part of a broader campaign associated with the tea.xyz token reward system, which has been flooding the npm ecosystem. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. Its functionality is primarily centered around publishing scripts that can manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the tealove-boy45 package stems from its 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, effectively polluting the npm registry. The origin of this issue is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which employs these tactics to exploit the npm ecosystem for malicious gain. The ramifications include potential security risks for developers who inadvertently use these packages, as they may introduce unwanted code into their projects.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tealove-boy45If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can avoid using the tealove-boy45 package altogether and monitor your dependencies for any malicious packages. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to scan your package-lock.json file for vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The tealove-boy45 package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with potentially harmful variants. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and monitor for similar vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
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FAQ
The tealove-boy45 package is part of a malicious campaign that aims to inflate developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can introduce unwanted code into your project, potentially compromising security and functionality.
You should uninstall the tealove-boy45 package immediately using the command: npm uninstall tealove-boy45.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without requiring a signup.
