MalwarePublished 11 Nov 2025

chronic_landfowl_z3n (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects chronic_landfowl_z3nSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove chronic_landfowl_z3n and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 11 Nov 2026, 22:57 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2025-132408

What to do

Remove chronic_landfowl_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
npmchronic_landfowl_z3n	Affected–	Fixed in–

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Description

The chronic_landfowl_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 create numerous variants with Indonesian-themed or English names, continuously republishing to pollute the npm registry.

Impact

The malicious payload enables continuous automatic publication of numerous derivative npm packages, which can pollute the npm registry with spam or potentially malicious packages. This can degrade the quality and trustworthiness of the npm ecosystem and may mislead developers relying on reputation scores. There is no direct evidence of exploitation or compromise beyond registry pollution and reputation manipulation.

Defensive guidance

Mitigation involves avoiding use of the affected package and its variants, removing them from projects, and monitoring npm dependencies for similar autopublish scripts or suspicious packages. Registry maintainers should consider removing or blocking these packages to prevent further pollution.

Summary

This threat involves the chronic_landfowl_z3n npm package, which is used in a token reward campaign flooding the npm ecosystem. The package includes autopublish scripts (such as auto.js and autopublish.js variants) that automate the creation and publication of derivative packages with randomized names. These scripts alter package.json by removing private flags and changing version numbers to enable repeated publication. The campaign's goal is to inflate developer reputation scores for the tea protocol token rewards by generating numerous package variants, thereby polluting the npm registry with malicious or spam packages.

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 11 Nov 2026, 22:57 UTC

Technical details

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