Malicious Code Injection in thorough_parrotfish_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-109633: Malicious code in thorough_parrotfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The thorough_parrotfish_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and appears to be associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious code embedded within the thorough_parrotfish_z3n package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which can lead to the pollution of the npm registry. The scripts are designed to continuously republish these variants, posing a significant risk to developers and users by potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information and degrading 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 thorough_parrotfish_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, avoid using the thorough_parrotfish_z3n package and monitor your project for any dependencies that may rely on it. Regularly check your package-lock.json file for any signs of malicious packages.
Conclusion
The thorough_parrotfish_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and users. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and monitor for any related vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of your software.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, potentially exposing sensitive information and degrading the integrity of the npm registry.
You should uninstall the package immediately using npm uninstall thorough_parrotfish_z3n and monitor your project for any related vulnerabilities.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. You can check your application using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities, and stay updated on security advisories related to the packages you use.
