Malicious Code Injection in Thorough Crocodile Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-96996: Malicious code in thorough_crocodile_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
Thorough Crocodile Z3N is an npm package that is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate certain functionalities within the tea protocol ecosystem. However, it has been identified as being compromised, containing malicious scripts that can manipulate its own package metadata and publish harmful variants to the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package's involvement in a scheme to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. It includes autopublish scripts that modify the package.json file, removing private flags and changing version numbers. This allows the package to generate and publish numerous derivative packages with randomized names, effectively polluting the npm registry and potentially leading to security risks for users who unknowingly install these malicious variants.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall thorough_crocodile_z3nIf 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 Thorough Crocodile Z3N package until a secure version is released. Additionally, you can monitor your project for any unauthorized changes to package.json and regularly audit your dependencies.
Conclusion
The Thorough Crocodile Z3N package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise projects using it. It is essential to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to safeguard your application from potential threats.
See every vulnerability recorded for thorough_crocodile_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to facilitate certain functionalities within that ecosystem.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of malicious variants that may compromise your project's integrity and security.
You should immediately update the package to a patched version or remove it from your project to prevent potential security risks.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file. You can also check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground.
Regularly auditing your dependencies, using tools like Vulert, and keeping your packages updated can help prevent similar vulnerabilities.
