Malicious Code Injection in tealove-darknest22: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-168278: Malicious code in tealove-darknest22 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package tealove-darknest22 is part of a broader campaign associated with the tea.xyz token reward system. It is designed to manipulate the npm registry by generating and publishing numerous derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, making it a significant concern for developers relying on npm for package management.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in tealove-darknest22 originates from its malicious design, which includes autopublish scripts that modify the package.json file. These modifications remove private flags, alter version numbers, and create random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of variants. This not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk of unintentional dependency on malicious packages by developers, potentially compromising their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tealove-darknest22If 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 tealove-darknest22 and any packages that depend on it. Regularly audit your dependencies using 'npm audit' to identify any vulnerabilities in your project.
Conclusion
The tealove-darknest22 package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior of modifying package metadata and republishing variants. It is essential for developers to take immediate action to remove this package and monitor their dependencies to safeguard their applications.
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FAQ
tealove-darknest22 is an npm package involved in a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through the publication of numerous derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to unintentional dependency on malicious packages, which may compromise the security and integrity of your application.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check your package-lock.json for any references to it. Use 'npm uninstall tealove-darknest22' to remove it.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using your package-lock.json. You can check your application for vulnerabilities without signup at the Vulert playground.
Regularly audit your dependencies, keep your packages updated, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in real-time.
