Malicious Code Injection in upset_bobcat-excellentdev Package
Summary
MAL-2025-110212: Malicious code in upset_bobcat-excellentdev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The upset_bobcat-excellentdev package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises its integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability arises from malicious code embedded within the upset_bobcat-excellentdev package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the continuous republishing of variants that pollute the npm registry. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to a broader campaign that exploits npm packages for token rewards, posing significant risks to developers and the integrity of the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall upset_bobcat-excellentdevIf 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 upset_bobcat-excellentdev package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The upset_bobcat-excellentdev package contains malicious code that poses a significant threat to developers and the npm ecosystem. It is crucial to uninstall this package and monitor your projects for vulnerabilities to maintain security and integrity.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages.
The malicious code can compromise your project's integrity by modifying critical files and flooding the npm registry with unwanted packages.
You should uninstall the package immediately and check for any dependencies that may be affected.
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 use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities without needing to sign up.
