Malicious Code Injection in npm Package vivid_marlin_z3n
Summary
MAL-2025-97285: Malicious code in vivid_marlin_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package vivid_marlin_z3n is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. It is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. However, it has been compromised to include malicious scripts that manipulate package metadata and inflate developer reputation scores.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in vivid_marlin_z3n stems from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that floods the npm registry with derivative packages. The malicious payload alters the package.json file by removing private flags, changing version numbers, and generating random package names. This not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly install these compromised packages, leading to potential security breaches in their applications.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall vivid_marlin_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 avoid using the vivid_marlin_z3n package and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The vivid_marlin_z3n package has been identified as malicious, posing significant risks to developers and their applications. It is crucial to uninstall this package and monitor for similar vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert to ensure the security of your software.
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FAQ
vivid_marlin_z3n is an npm package that was part of a token reward campaign but has been identified as malicious due to its harmful scripts.
If you have this package installed, it may compromise your application's security by altering package metadata and introducing potentially harmful code.
You should uninstall the package immediately using the command: npm uninstall vivid_marlin_z3n.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time using just the package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without requiring any signup.
