Malicious Code Injection in tealove-coki4: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-168197: Malicious code in tealove-coki4 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package tealove-coki4 is part of a broader campaign associated with the tea.xyz token reward initiative. This package is designed to manipulate npm's package registry by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages. It aims to inflate developer reputation scores for rewards, making it a significant concern for developers relying on npm for package management.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in tealove-coki4 originates from its malicious design, which includes scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags and alter version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses risks to developers who may unknowingly integrate these compromised packages into their projects, leading to potential security breaches and loss of trust in the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tealove-coki4If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, avoid using the tealove-coki4 package and consider replacing it with a similar, trusted package. Regularly audit your package-lock.json file to identify and remove any potentially malicious packages.
Conclusion
The tealove-coki4 package poses a significant risk to npm users due to its malicious code designed to manipulate the npm registry. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and monitor for similar vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of your software development environment.
See every vulnerability recorded for tealove-coki4 →
FAQ
Tealove-coki4 is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the automatic generation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your project, potentially compromising security and functionality.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall tealove-coki4' and review your project for any other compromised packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time, alerting you to any issues.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
