Malicious Code Injection in unemployed_moth-smiletea Package
Summary
MAL-2025-110074: Malicious code in unemployed_moth-smiletea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The unemployed_moth-smiletea package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the generation and publication of derivative packages, which are often used to inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity and the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the unemployed_moth-smiletea package stems from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior not only affects the integrity of the npm ecosystem but can also lead to reputation damage for developers and potential security risks for users who inadvertently install these malicious packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall unemployed_moth-smileteaIf 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 prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to monitor dependencies. Ensure that your project does not include unemployed_moth-smiletea in its dependencies. Additionally, consider using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities in your project without requiring code access.
Conclusion
The unemployed_moth-smiletea package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry with unwanted variants. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of their projects.
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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.
It modifies package.json files, removes private flags, changes version numbers, and publishes random package variants to the npm registry.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without signing up.
You should uninstall the package using npm uninstall unemployed_moth-smiletea and check your package-lock.json for any references to it.
Yes, Vulert can monitor and alert you in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json.
