Malicious Code Vulnerability in tealove-poke45: A Threat to npm Users
Summary
MAL-2025-168672: Malicious code in tealove-poke45 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package tealove-poke45 is part of a broader campaign associated with the tea.xyz token reward system. This npm package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names. The intent behind this is to inflate developer reputation scores for rewards associated with the tea protocol. However, this functionality has led to significant security concerns due to the presence of malicious code.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability stems from the malicious code embedded within the tealove-poke45 package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture. The malicious payload continuously republishes these variants, leading to pollution of the npm registry. This can result in developers inadvertently using compromised packages, which may expose their applications to further vulnerabilities and security risks.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tealove-poke45If 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-poke45 package and monitor your dependencies for any unauthorized changes. You can also use tools like Vulert to check your application for vulnerabilities without requiring access to the code or installation. To check if your application is affected, visit the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner.
Conclusion
The tealove-poke45 package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and repopulates the npm registry with compromised packages. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies to maintain application security.
See every vulnerability recorded for tealove-poke45 →
FAQ
Tealove-poke45 is an npm package that is part of a campaign to inflate developer reputation scores for the tea.xyz token rewards.
The vulnerability can lead to the inclusion of malicious code in your application, potentially compromising its security and functionality.
You should uninstall the package immediately using the command npm uninstall tealove-poke45 and check your application for any unauthorized changes.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file to alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by vulnerabilities without requiring any signup.
