Malicious Code Injection in yearling_leech_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-97482: Malicious code in yearling_leech_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The yearling_leech_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem, which is widely used for JavaScript package management. This package has been identified as part of a malicious campaign that aims to exploit npm's publishing system. It is designed to generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names, ultimately inflating developer reputation scores for token rewards in the tea.xyz protocol.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the yearling_leech_z3n package originates from its association with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. The package contains scripts that modify the package.json file to remove private flags, change version numbers, and generate random package names. This leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the integrity of the ecosystem. The malicious payload can affect developers by inflating reputation scores fraudulently and may introduce security risks through unverified package versions.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall yearling_leech_z3nIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a workaround, you can temporarily avoid using the yearling_leech_z3n package by replacing it with alternative packages that provide similar functionality without the associated risks. Always ensure to validate the integrity of any package before including it in your project.
Conclusion
The yearling_leech_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that alters package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is essential to remove this package from your projects and monitor for similar vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert.
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FAQ
The yearling_leech_z3n package is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign targeting the npm registry.
This vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and may compromise the integrity of your project by introducing unverified package versions.
You should uninstall the yearling_leech_z3n package immediately and check your package-lock.json file for any references to it.
Yes, you can use Vulert, which monitors and alerts in real-time for open-source vulnerabilities using just your package-lock.json file.
You can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
