Malicious Code Injection in ucok-poke42 Package
Summary
MAL-2025-169663: Malicious code in ucok-poke42 (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The ucok-poke42 package is part of the npm ecosystem and has been identified as a component of a token reward campaign associated with the tea.xyz protocol. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that can adversely affect the npm registry and developers using the package.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the ucok-poke42 package originates 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 these variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the integrity of other packages. The malicious scripts are typically named auto.js, autopublish.js, autopublish2.js, and autopublish3.js, and they are designed to automate the exploitation process.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall ucok-poke42If it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the ucok-poke42 package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Always verify the integrity and reputation of packages before including them in your project.
Conclusion
The ucok-poke42 package has been identified as containing malicious code that can compromise the integrity of the npm registry and affect developers. It is crucial to remove this package from your projects and monitor for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert to ensure the security of your applications.
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FAQ
The ucok-poke42 package is an npm package that is part of a token reward campaign, designed to generate and publish derivative packages automatically.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project by introducing malicious code.
You should uninstall the ucok-poke42 package immediately using 'npm uninstall ucok-poke42' and check for any other affected packages.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just your package-lock.json file. You can check if your application is affected by visiting the Vulert playground.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use trusted sources for packages, and consider using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities.
