Malicious Code Injection in Urgent Shrew Dumbs Package
Summary
MAL-2025-110237: Malicious code in urgent_shrew_dumbs (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'urgent_shrew_dumbs' package is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate npm's registry by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for tea protocol token rewards, making it a significant concern for developers relying on npm for package management.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the 'urgent_shrew_dumbs' package stems from its malicious code, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and alters version numbers. It generates random package names, often themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This can lead to a compromised development environment, where developers unknowingly integrate malicious packages into their projects, potentially exposing sensitive data or creating security loopholes.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall urgent_shrew_dumbsIf 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 'urgent_shrew_dumbs' package and any other packages that may be part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Monitor your package-lock.json file for any suspicious entries and remove any packages that seem out of place.
Conclusion
The 'urgent_shrew_dumbs' package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm's registry. Developers should take immediate action to remove this package and monitor their projects for similar vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your open-source dependencies.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with a token reward campaign that generates and publishes malicious derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the integration of malicious code into your project, potentially compromising security and data integrity.
You should uninstall the 'urgent_shrew_dumbs' package immediately and review your other dependencies for any similar issues.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time by analyzing your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check for vulnerabilities in your application without requiring any signup.
