Malicious Code Injection in wawan-mie29-riris: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-92133: Malicious code in wawan-mie29-riris (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package wawan-mie29-riris is part of a series of npm packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to manipulate the npm registry by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. This behavior is intended to inflate developer reputation scores for rewards in the tea protocol, making the package a potential vector for malicious activities.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in wawan-mie29-riris stems from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags and changes version numbers. The package generates random names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, and continuously republishes variants to pollute the npm registry. This can lead to a compromised npm ecosystem, where developers may unknowingly install malicious packages, risking their applications and data.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall wawan-mie29-ririsIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, avoid using the wawan-mie29-riris package and any other packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. Regularly audit your dependencies using tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground at https://vulert.com/scanner without any signup.
Conclusion
The wawan-mie29-riris package poses a significant threat to the npm ecosystem due to its malicious behavior. It is crucial for developers to be vigilant and remove such packages from their projects to maintain the integrity of their applications. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in identifying and mitigating these risks effectively.
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FAQ
The main issue is that it contains malicious code that modifies package.json files and floods the npm registry with derivative packages.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected without needing to sign up.
You should uninstall the wawan-mie29-riris package immediately using the command npm uninstall wawan-mie29-riris.
There are no patches available for this specific package as it is recommended to remove it entirely from your project.
Regularly audit your dependencies and use tools like Vulert to monitor for open-source vulnerabilities in your software.
