Malicious Code Injection in unemployed_chickadee_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-110071: Malicious code in unemployed_chickadee_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The unemployed_chickadee_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, often used in JavaScript projects. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with numerous packages. This package, like others in the campaign, is designed to manipulate developer reputation scores by automatically publishing derivative packages with randomized names.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the unemployed_chickadee_z3n package stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. It removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which leads to the continuous republishing of these variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages, potentially leading to security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall unemployed_chickadee_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 this package by using the npm audit command to identify vulnerabilities and remove any affected packages. Additionally, consider using a package-lock.json file to lock down your dependencies and avoid unintentional updates.
Conclusion
The unemployed_chickadee_z3n package contains malicious code that poses a significant risk to developers and their applications. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor for any updates to ensure the security of your projects. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in identifying and managing vulnerabilities effectively.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, known for flooding the npm registry with malicious packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the injection of malicious code, potentially compromising your application's security and integrity.
You should remove the unemployed_chickadee_z3n package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without any signup.
