academic_leech_z3n (npm) · Malicious Code
Affects academic_leech_z3nSource GCVE Database
Malicious package : remove academic_leech_z3n and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.
Data as of 11 Nov 2026, 22:16 UTC
Malicious package
Published to npm · OSV MAL-2025-131866
What to do
Remove academic_leech_z3n from every project, lockfile and image that pulls it in. Treat any host that installed it as compromised: rotate the credentials, tokens and keys it could read, from a clean machine.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| npmacademic_leech_z3n | Affected– | Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
The academic_leech_z3n npm package is part of a malicious campaign linked to tea.xyz token rewards. It contains autopublish scripts that automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names to inflate developer reputation scores. The payload modifies package.json files to remove private flags, change version numbers, and generate random Indonesian-themed or English package names, continuously republishing variants to pollute the npm registry.