Malicious Code Injection in tealove-lady46: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-168354: Malicious code in tealove-lady46 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package tealove-lady46 is part of a campaign associated with the tea.xyz token reward system, which has been known to flood the npm ecosystem with malicious packages. These packages are designed to manipulate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior not only affects the integrity of the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in tealove-lady46 originates from its malicious code, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This allows the package to continuously republish variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially leading to security risks for developers who rely on these packages. The malicious payload is part of a broader strategy to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards, making it a significant concern for the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tealove-lady46If 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-lady46 package and monitor your package-lock.json file for any unauthorized changes. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your dependencies without needing to access the code directly.
Conclusion
The tealove-lady46 package poses a significant threat to npm users due to its malicious code designed to manipulate the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant about the packages they use and to regularly monitor for vulnerabilities. By removing compromised packages and utilizing tools like Vulert, developers can help maintain the integrity of their projects.
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FAQ
Tealove-lady46 is an npm package that has been identified as malicious, part of a campaign to manipulate developer reputation scores through the publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, potentially introducing security risks and unreliable packages into your project.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall tealove-lady46' to mitigate any risks associated with its malicious behavior.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
