difficult_cattle_z3n (npm) · Malicious Code
Affects difficult_cattle_z3nSource GCVE Database
Malicious package : remove difficult_cattle_z3n and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.
Data as of 10 Nov 2026, 16:41 UTC
Malicious package
Published to npm · OSV MAL-2025-55894
What to do
Remove difficult_cattle_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 |
|---|---|---|
| npmdifficult_cattle_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 npm package difficult_cattle_z3n is associated with the tea.xyz token reward campaign and contains malicious autopublish scripts. These scripts automatically generate and publish derivative packages with randomized Indonesian-themed names to manipulate developer reputation scores for token rewards. The malicious payload modifies package.json files to remove private flags, changes version numbers, and continuously republishes variants, resulting in pollution of the npm registry.