Malicious Code Injection in xhhwtm-devapptea Package
Summary
MAL-2025-111130: Malicious code in xhhwtm-devapptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The xhhwtm-devapptea package is part of the tea.xyz token reward campaign that has been flooding the npm ecosystem. This package is designed to facilitate the distribution of token rewards through various npm packages. However, it has been identified as containing malicious scripts that can compromise the integrity of the npm registry and inflate developer reputation scores through automated publishing of derivative packages.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from malicious code embedded in the xhhwtm-devapptea package. This code modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names, primarily themed around Indonesian culture, to continuously republish variants. This behavior not only pollutes the npm registry but also poses a risk to developers who may unknowingly install these compromised packages, potentially leading to further exploitation.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall xhhwtm-devappteaIf 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 file to monitor dependencies. Ensure that your project does not include xhhwtm-devapptea or any of its derivatives. You can also use the following command to uninstall it if already installed: npm uninstall xhhwtm-devapptea.
Conclusion
The xhhwtm-devapptea package has been identified as containing malicious code that compromises the integrity of the npm ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities to maintain the security of their projects.
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FAQ
xhhwtm-devapptea is an npm package associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign, which has been identified to contain malicious code.
The malicious code modifies your package.json file, removes private flags, and can lead to the installation of compromised packages, potentially affecting your project's security.
If you have installed xhhwtm-devapptea, you should uninstall it immediately using the command: npm uninstall xhhwtm-devapptea.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors your package-lock.json file for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time. You can check your application for vulnerabilities using the Vulert playground without any signup.
To prevent similar vulnerabilities, regularly audit your dependencies, use tools like Vulert for monitoring, and ensure to only install packages from trusted sources.
