Malicious Code Injection in unpleasant_crane-biggestdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-110171: Malicious code in unpleasant_crane-biggestdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The unpleasant_crane-biggestdev package is part of the npm ecosystem, commonly used for various JavaScript applications. It is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with packages that aim to inflate developer reputation scores. This package, like others in the campaign, contains scripts designed to automatically publish derivative packages with randomized names, which can lead to significant pollution of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the unpleasant_crane-biggestdev package arises from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. This code removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, which can lead to the continuous republishing of these variants. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which exploits npm's publishing system to inflate reputation scores. The ramifications include potential security risks for developers and users who may unknowingly install these malicious packages, leading to compromised systems and data.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall unpleasant_crane-biggestdevIf 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 remove the unpleasant_crane-biggestdev package from your project by running the command: npm uninstall unpleasant_crane-biggestdev. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The unpleasant_crane-biggestdev package contains a significant vulnerability due to its malicious code that alters package configurations and republish variants. It is crucial for developers to update or remove this package to safeguard their applications from potential threats. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help monitor and alert for such vulnerabilities in real-time.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to inflate developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of malicious code that modifies your package.json file and republish variants, potentially compromising your application.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without needing to sign up.
As a temporary measure, you can uninstall the package to prevent any malicious code from executing in your application.
Detailed information can be found in the vulnerability report on the Open Source Vulnerability database or by checking the npm registry for updates.
