Malicious Code Injection in tealove-coki5: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-168208: Malicious code in tealove-coki5 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package tealove-coki5 is part of a series of npm packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. The functionality of these packages is compromised due to the presence of malicious code that modifies critical files.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in tealove-coki5 originates from its association with a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. The malicious payload alters the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, leading to potential security breaches and loss of control over their projects.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tealove-coki5If 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-coki5 package and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Regularly audit your dependencies to ensure that no malicious packages are included in your project.
Conclusion
The tealove-coki5 package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code designed to manipulate package data and inflate developer reputation scores. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for any signs of compromise. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in maintaining the security of your projects.
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FAQ
Tealove-coki5 is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores through the creation of derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, potentially exposing your project to security risks and polluting the npm registry with unwanted packages.
You should remove the tealove-coki5 package immediately and check for any other potentially malicious packages in your project.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities without requiring code access.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
