Malicious Code Injection in verify-tacva-mechanical Package
Summary
MAL-2025-170467: Malicious code in verify-tacva-mechanical (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The verify-tacva-mechanical package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is suspected to be associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood npm with malicious packages. The primary function of this package is not clearly defined, but it is implicated in activities that compromise the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the verify-tacva-mechanical package stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. This code removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the automatic publication of derivative packages. The origin of this malicious behavior is linked to a campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards, which can result in a polluted npm registry and potential security risks for users relying on affected packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall verify-tacva-mechanicalIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can avoid using the verify-tacva-mechanical package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The verify-tacva-mechanical package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and publishes derivative packages. Immediate action is required to uninstall the package and monitor for any similar vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
See every vulnerability recorded for verify-tacva-mechanical →
FAQ
The verify-tacva-mechanical package is an npm package that has been identified as malicious and is part of a campaign to inflate developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the automatic publication of malicious packages, which may compromise the integrity of your application and the npm registry.
You should uninstall the verify-tacva-mechanical package immediately to mitigate any potential risks.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just package-lock.json. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
