Malicious Code Injection in Thorough Earthworm 0xRequest Package
Summary
MAL-2025-109628: Malicious code in thorough_earthworm_0xrequest (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The Thorough Earthworm 0xRequest package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate various functionalities related to the tea protocol, but it has been compromised. The vulnerability allows for the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can lead to reputation inflation for developers involved in the campaign.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from malicious code embedded within the Thorough Earthworm 0xRequest 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, polluting the npm registry and potentially affecting the integrity of other packages and developers' reputations.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall thorough_earthworm_0xrequestIf 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 Earthworm 0xRequest package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor your project for vulnerabilities. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The Thorough Earthworm 0xRequest package has been compromised with malicious code that can significantly impact npm projects. It is essential to remove this package and monitor your project for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert. Always stay updated with the latest secure versions of your dependencies.
See every vulnerability recorded for thorough_earthworm_0xrequest →
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 automatic generation of malicious packages, which can compromise your project's integrity and inflate developer reputation scores fraudulently.
You should uninstall the package immediately using 'npm uninstall thorough_earthworm_0xrequest' and check for any other affected packages in your project.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your project in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just the package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by vulnerabilities without requiring any signup.
