Malicious Code Injection in yearning_anglerfish_z3n Package
Summary
MAL-2025-92657: Malicious code in yearning_anglerfish_z3n (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The yearning_anglerfish_z3n package is part of the npm ecosystem and is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. This package is designed to facilitate the automatic generation and publication of derivative packages, which can inflate developer reputation scores in exchange for token rewards. However, it has been identified as containing malicious scripts that compromise the integrity of the npm registry.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the yearning_anglerfish_z3n package originates from its inclusion in a campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages contain scripts that modify the package.json file by removing private flags, altering version numbers, and generating random package names. This behavior leads to the pollution of the npm registry and can potentially harm developers by affecting their reputation and the reliability of their dependencies.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall yearning_anglerfish_z3nIf 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 monitor your dependencies. Ensure that you do not include this package in your project and regularly audit your dependencies for any malicious packages.
Conclusion
The yearning_anglerfish_z3n package poses a significant risk due to its malicious code that modifies package metadata and floods the npm registry. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies to maintain the integrity of their projects.
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FAQ
The yearning_anglerfish_z3n package is an npm package associated with a token reward campaign that generates and publishes derivative packages.
This vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry, affecting the integrity of your dependencies and potentially harming your project's reputation.
You should uninstall the yearning_anglerfish_z3n package immediately and audit your dependencies for any other malicious packages.
Yes, you can use tools like Vulert to monitor your project for open-source vulnerabilities in real-time by analyzing 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.
Habilume
Habit tracker with a companion that grows with you
Complete habits, earn Lume Points, and watch your Lume grow as you stay consistent.
