Malicious Code Injection in wati-gembus9-riris: A Threat to npm Packages
Summary
MAL-2025-92009: Malicious code in wati-gembus9-riris (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 package wati-gembus9-riris is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This campaign has been known to flood the npm registry with numerous packages that contain harmful scripts. The primary function of these packages is to manipulate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names, which can lead to significant pollution of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in wati-gembus9-riris originates from its malicious payload that modifies the package.json file. It removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture. This behavior is designed to inflate developer reputation scores fraudulently and continuously republish variants, which can lead to a polluted npm registry and potential security risks for users relying on these packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall wati-gembus9-ririsIf 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 workaround, you can avoid using the wati-gembus9-riris package altogether and look for alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Additionally, ensure that your package-lock.json is monitored for any vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
Conclusion
The wati-gembus9-riris package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code that manipulates npm package management. It is crucial for developers to be aware of such vulnerabilities and take immediate action to remove affected packages and monitor their dependencies for security risks.
See every vulnerability recorded for wati-gembus9-riris →
FAQ
wati-gembus9-riris is an npm package that has been identified as malicious, involved in a campaign to inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may expose your project to security risks if you inadvertently rely on compromised packages.
You should uninstall the package immediately using the command 'npm uninstall wati-gembus9-riris' and check for any other affected packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time without requiring code access or installation.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
