Malicious Code Injection in tricky_echidna_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-91230: Malicious code in tricky_echidna_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The tricky_echidna_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. It is primarily used for token rewards but has been compromised to include malicious code.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the tricky_echidna_z3n package stems from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the integrity of other packages. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to a campaign that exploits npm's publishing mechanisms to manipulate developer reputation and disrupt the ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall tricky_echidna_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 prevent the installation of the tricky_echidna_z3n package by adding it to your project's .npmrc file with the following line: package-lock=false. This will stop npm from installing this package and its variants.
Conclusion
The tricky_echidna_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the integrity of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package from their projects and monitor for any similar vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
The tricky_echidna_z3n package is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to inflate developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project's dependencies, potentially introducing malicious code.
If you have installed the tricky_echidna_z3n package, you should uninstall it immediately using npm uninstall tricky_echidna_z3n.
Currently, there are no patches available for the tricky_echidna_z3n package. The best course of action is to remove it from your project.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just package-lock.json. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner.
