Malicious Code Injection in voluminous_anteater_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-110619: Malicious code in voluminous_anteater_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The voluminous_anteater_z3n package is part of a series of npm packages that emerged during the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to inflate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior poses a significant risk to the integrity of the npm registry and can lead to the proliferation of malicious code.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the voluminous_anteater_z3n package stems from its malicious payload, which modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This allows the package to continuously republish variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising other projects that depend on it. The origin of this issue is linked to the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which incentivizes developers to inflate their reputation scores through such malicious practices.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall voluminous_anteater_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 voluminous_anteater_z3n package and monitor your project for any dependencies that may indirectly include it. Regularly audit your package-lock.json file for any signs of malicious packages.
Conclusion
The voluminous_anteater_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious behavior of modifying package.json files and flooding the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant, regularly audit their dependencies, and utilize tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities.
See every vulnerability recorded for voluminous_anteater_z3n →
FAQ
It is an npm package that is part of a malicious campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores by flooding the npm registry with derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the introduction of malicious code into your project, potentially compromising its security and integrity.
You can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. Visit Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without requiring any signup.
You should immediately uninstall the package using npm uninstall voluminous_anteater_z3n and review your other dependencies for any related vulnerabilities.
Regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert for monitoring, and stay updated on security advisories related to the packages you use.
