Malicious Code Injection in wrong_cougar-teagooddev: npm Package Vulnerability
Summary
MAL-2025-111041: Malicious code in wrong_cougar-teagooddev (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The 'wrong_cougar-teagooddev' package is part of a series of npm packages associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. These packages are designed to automate the generation and publication of derivative packages, often with randomized names, to inflate developer reputation scores for token rewards. This behavior poses significant risks to the integrity of the npm registry and the security of applications relying on these packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from the malicious design of the 'wrong_cougar-teagooddev' package, which includes scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, alter version numbers, and generate random package names. This results in continuous republishing of variants, effectively polluting the npm registry. The ramifications include potential exposure of sensitive information, compromised application integrity, and increased difficulty in managing dependencies due to the proliferation of malicious packages.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall wrong_cougar-teagooddevIf 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 prevent the installation of this package by using npm's package-lock.json to lock your dependencies to known safe versions. Additionally, consider using npm audit to identify and address vulnerabilities in your project.
Conclusion
The 'wrong_cougar-teagooddev' package poses a significant security risk due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm packages. It is crucial to remove this package and monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the integrity and security of your applications.
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FAQ
It is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, designed to automate the generation of derivative packages.
The vulnerability can lead to the exposure of sensitive information and compromise the integrity of your application due to the proliferation of malicious packages.
You should remove the 'wrong_cougar-teagooddev' package from your project and monitor for any updates or patches.
You can use tools like npm audit or services like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json for vulnerabilities in real-time.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
