Malicious Code Injection in worrying_flea_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-97417: Malicious code in worrying_flea_z3n (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 worrying_flea_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. Its primary functionality revolves around generating and publishing derivative packages, but it has been compromised to include harmful scripts that manipulate package metadata.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the worrying_flea_z3n package stems from its malicious code that modifies the package.json file. This code removes private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, leading to the pollution of the npm registry. The origin of this vulnerability is linked to a campaign aimed at inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards, which poses significant risks such as unauthorized access to sensitive data and the potential for further exploitation within the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall worrying_flea_z3nIf 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 temporary workaround, you can prevent the installation of the worrying_flea_z3n package by using npm's package-lock.json file to lock your dependencies. Ensure that you do not include this package in your project and monitor your dependencies for any unauthorized changes.
Conclusion
The worrying_flea_z3n package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and publishes unauthorized derivatives. It is essential to remove this package from your project and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity of your application.
See every vulnerability recorded for worrying_flea_z3n →
FAQ
The worrying_flea_z3n package is an npm package that has been identified as malicious, designed to manipulate package metadata and publish derivative packages.
This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized changes in your project's dependencies, potentially compromising your application's security and integrity.
You should immediately uninstall the worrying_flea_z3n package using the command 'npm uninstall worrying_flea_z3n' and review your project's dependencies for any other malicious packages.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. You can check if your application is affected by this vulnerability using the Vulert playground without any signup.
Yes, there are several automated tools available that can help you identify and manage vulnerabilities in your dependencies, including Vulert.
