Malicious Code Injection in yeasty_gull-apptea: A Threat to npm Ecosystem
Summary
MAL-2025-111280: Malicious code in yeasty_gull-apptea (npm). Affected versions are not published. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The package 'yeasty_gull-apptea' is part of a broader campaign associated with the tea.xyz token reward initiative, which has been known to flood the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages are designed to manipulate developer reputation scores by automatically generating and publishing derivative packages with randomized names. The malicious nature of this package poses a significant risk to developers and users relying on npm for secure package management.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in 'yeasty_gull-apptea' stems from its inclusion in a malicious campaign that modifies the package.json file to remove private flags, alters version numbers, and generates random package names. This behavior leads to the continuous republishing of variants, polluting the npm registry and potentially compromising the integrity of dependent projects. The malicious payload can inflate developer reputation scores fraudulently, undermining trust in the npm ecosystem.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
npm uninstall yeasty_gull-appteaIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, you can avoid using the 'yeasty_gull-apptea' package and replace it with a reputable alternative that does not exhibit malicious behavior. Always verify the integrity of packages before including them in your project.
Conclusion
The 'yeasty_gull-apptea' package poses a significant threat due to its malicious code designed to manipulate npm's ecosystem. It is crucial for developers to remove this package and monitor their dependencies for vulnerabilities. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help maintain the security of your applications.
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FAQ
'yeasty_gull-apptea' is an npm package that has been identified as part of a malicious campaign aimed at manipulating developer reputation scores.
The vulnerability can lead to the pollution of the npm registry and compromise the integrity of your project by introducing malicious code.
You should uninstall 'yeasty_gull-apptea' immediately using 'npm uninstall yeasty_gull-apptea' and check your project for any unintended consequences.
You can use tools like Vulert, which monitors and alerts for open-source vulnerabilities in your software using just the package-lock.json file.
Yes, you can use the Vulert playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without requiring any signup.
