Malicious Code Injection in Widespread Silverfish Z3N Package
Summary
MAL-2025-110911: Malicious code in widespread_silverfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The widespread_silverfish_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, often associated with token reward campaigns. It is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages. This package, like others in its category, aims to inflate developer reputation scores for the tea protocol token rewards, making it a target for malicious exploitation.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the widespread_silverfish_z3n package stems from its inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages contain scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This behavior can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, potentially harming developers and users by introducing untrusted code into their environments.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall widespread_silverfish_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the widespread_silverfish_z3n package and monitor your dependencies for any malicious activity. Regularly audit your npm packages using npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities.
Conclusion
The widespread_silverfish_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm registry entries. It is crucial to remove this package and stay vigilant about monitoring your dependencies to maintain the security of your projects.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with token reward campaigns that can contain malicious code.
It can lead to the introduction of untrusted code, potentially compromising your application's security.
You should uninstall the package immediately and monitor your project for any unusual behavior.
Yes, you can use Vulert to monitor and alert for open-source vulnerabilities in your software. You can check your application using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Regularly audit your dependencies, keep your packages updated, and use tools like Vulert to monitor for vulnerabilities.
