Malicious Code Injection in united_flyingfish_z3n: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-97150: Malicious code in united_flyingfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'united_flyingfish_z3n' is part of a campaign that exploits the npm ecosystem by flooding it with malicious packages. These packages are designed to manipulate developer reputation scores through automated publishing scripts. The malicious nature of this package lies in its ability to alter package metadata and continuously republish variants, which can lead to a polluted npm registry and potential security risks for developers relying on these packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the package being part of a token reward campaign that uses autopublish scripts to generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names. This malicious payload modifies the 'package.json' file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and creating random package names. The continuous republishing of these variants can lead to a significant pollution of the npm registry, affecting developers who may unknowingly use these compromised packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall united_flyingfish_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 avoid using the 'united_flyingfish_z3n' package and consider alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, you can monitor your project dependencies using tools like Vulert, which can alert you to open-source vulnerabilities in real-time.
Conclusion
The 'united_flyingfish_z3n' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm package metadata and flood the registry. Developers are urged to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert to ensure the security of their applications.
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FAQ
The main issue is that it contains malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry with compromised packages.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without any signup.
If you have installed the 'united_flyingfish_z3n' package, it is advisable to remove it immediately and look for alternative packages.
Currently, there are no patches available for the 'united_flyingfish_z3n' package, so removal is the best course of action.
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