balanced_thrush_z3n (npm) · Malicious Code
Affects balanced_thrush_z3nSource GCVE Database
Malicious package : remove balanced_thrush_z3n and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.
Data as of 7 Nov 2026, 17:35 UTC
Malicious package
Published to npm · OSV MAL-2025-55277
What to do
Remove balanced_thrush_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 |
|---|---|---|
| npmbalanced_thrush_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 balanced_thrush_z3n npm package is part of a token reward campaign that floods the npm registry with malicious packages. These packages contain autopublish scripts that automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized names. The malicious payload modifies package metadata to remove privacy flags, changes version numbers, and continuously republishes variants to inflate developer reputation scores for the tea protocol token rewards.