Malicious Code Injection in vivacious_earthworm_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-110597: Malicious code in vivacious_earthworm_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The vivacious_earthworm_z3n 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 and the security of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the vivacious_earthworm_z3n package originates from its malicious intent to modify the package.json file by removing private flags and altering version numbers. It generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes these variants to pollute the npm registry. This behavior can lead to significant ramifications, including the potential for developers to unknowingly install compromised packages, thereby exposing their applications to security risks.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall vivacious_earthworm_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 remove the vivacious_earthworm_z3n package from your project by executing the following command: npm uninstall vivacious_earthworm_z3n. This will prevent any malicious code from executing until a secure version is available.
Conclusion
The vivacious_earthworm_z3n package has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the security of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to take immediate action by updating or removing the package to protect their applications from potential threats.
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FAQ
vivacious_earthworm_z3n is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the installation of compromised packages, which may introduce security risks and affect the integrity of your application.
You should check the npm registry for any patched versions of the vivacious_earthworm_z3n package and update accordingly.
Regularly monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities, update packages to their latest secure versions, and consider using tools like Vulert to track vulnerabilities in real-time.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
