MalwarePublished 10 Nov 2025

assistant_skunk_z3n (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects assistant_skunk_z3nSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove assistant_skunk_z3n and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 7 Nov 2026, 17:36 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2025-55267

What to do

Remove assistant_skunk_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
npmassistant_skunk_z3n	Affected–	Fixed in–

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Description

The assistant_skunk_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 Indonesian-themed names. These scripts modify package.json files to remove private flags and increment version numbers, enabling continuous republishing. This activity pollutes the npm registry and inflates developer reputation scores fraudulently.

Impact

The malicious package pollutes the npm registry by continuously publishing derivative packages with randomized names, which can degrade the quality and trustworthiness of the npm ecosystem. It also manipulates developer reputation scores fraudulently, potentially misleading users and automated systems that rely on these metrics. There is no indication of direct exploitation or compromise of user systems from the provided data.

Defensive guidance

Users and maintainers should avoid installing or depending on the assistant_skunk_z3n package and related variants. Registry maintainers should consider removing or blocking these autopublished packages to prevent further pollution. Monitoring for and removing packages exhibiting autopublish behavior can help mitigate this threat.

Summary

This threat involves the assistant_skunk_z3n package on npm, which is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign. The package includes autopublish scripts (e.g., auto.js, autopublish.js) that automate the creation and publication of derivative packages with randomized names. The malicious payload alters package.json by removing private flags and changing version numbers to enable repeated publication. This behavior results in the flooding and pollution of the npm registry with numerous variants, artificially boosting developer reputation scores within the tea protocol token ecosystem.

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 7 Nov 2026, 17:36 UTC

Technical details

Community reviews