MalwarePublished 10 Nov 2025

deliberate_krill_z3n (npm) · Malicious Code

Affects deliberate_krill_z3nSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove deliberate_krill_z3n and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 10 Nov 2026, 16:28 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to npm · OSV MAL-2025-55755

What to do

Remove deliberate_krill_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
npmdeliberate_krill_z3n	Affected–	Fixed in–

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Description

The deliberate_krill_z3n npm package is part of a malicious campaign linked to the tea.xyz token reward scheme. It contains autopublish scripts that automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized Indonesian-themed names. The payload modifies package.json files to remove private flags and increment version numbers, enabling continuous republishing of variants to pollute the npm registry and artificially inflate developer reputation scores.

Impact

The malicious package causes pollution of the npm registry by continuously publishing derivative packages with randomized names. It manipulates package metadata to bypass private package restrictions and inflates developer reputation scores fraudulently. This can degrade the quality and trustworthiness of the npm ecosystem and potentially mislead users relying on reputation metrics.

Defensive guidance

Users and maintainers should avoid installing or depending on packages associated with this campaign. Registry maintainers should consider removing or blocking these packages to prevent further pollution. Monitoring for packages exhibiting autopublish behavior with randomized names can help identify and mitigate this threat.

Summary

This threat involves the deliberate_krill_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) that automatically create and publish derivative packages with randomized names. The malicious code alters package.json by removing private flags and changing version numbers, facilitating repeated republishing of variants. This behavior aims to manipulate developer reputation metrics for the tea protocol token rewards and results in registry pollution.

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 10 Nov 2026, 16:28 UTC

Technical details

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