Malicious Code Injection in tealove-nice19: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-168496: Malicious code in tealove-nice19 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package tealove-nice19 is part of a series of npm packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate the npm registry by generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. The primary functionality of these packages is to inflate developer reputation scores for rewards, but they pose significant risks to the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in tealove-nice19 stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry. This behavior can compromise the security of applications relying on these packages, potentially introducing further vulnerabilities and instability.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tealove-nice19If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the tealove-nice19 package and monitor your project for any unintended dependencies that may have been introduced. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time.
Conclusion
The tealove-nice19 package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant and remove any instances of this package from their projects. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in monitoring for such vulnerabilities effectively.
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FAQ
Tealove-nice19 is an npm package involved in a malicious campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through the creation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your application, potentially compromising its security and stability.
You should uninstall the tealove-nice19 package immediately and check for any dependencies that may rely on it.
You can use Vulert to monitor your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time without needing to install any additional software.
There is no patch available for tealove-nice19 as it is a malicious package. The best course of action is to remove it from your project.
