A new wave of supply chain attacks has emerged, targeting the open-source development community through a novel method: token farming. Security researchers have identified a coordinated campaign involving over 150,000 malicious npm packages, linked to the tea.xyz token farming initiative. Unlike traditional supply chain attacks that insert malicious code or ransomware into software packages, this particular threat exploits the decentralized nature of reward-based systems for open-source contributors. The attack leverages a self-replicating mechanism, allowing the perpetrators to generate and publish counterfeit packages, which in turn earn cryptocurrency rewards on the developers’ behalf.
The scheme, which was initially identified by Amazon Inspector security researchers in late October 2024, has grown exponentially, with over 153,000 packages detected by November 12, according to an updated report released by Sonatype. The malicious code includes tea.yaml files that connect these packages to attacker-controlled blockchain wallets, enabling the thieves to collect Tea tokens as the Tea Protocol’s Mainnet launches, where the TEA token will have actual monetary value. While the Tea tokens currently hold no value, the threat actors are positioning themselves to reap the financial rewards when the ecosystem goes live.
Experts warn that this incident represents a significant moment in the evolution of supply chain attacks, as the potential for exploitation extends beyond traditional malware to include financial incentives and reward systems. Brian Fox, CTO of Sonatype, who first reported the campaign in April 2024, stated that the threat is still evolving. He noted that while this particular campaign only steals Tea tokens, the methodology could inspire others to use similar tactics in other systems for financial gain, or even to embed malware into legitimate packages. This has raised concerns about the security of open-source ecosystems and the potential for abuse of reward-based systems in the future.
The incident has also underscored the importance of continuous monitoring and advanced detection tools in mitigating such threats. Amazon researchers credited the use of new detection rules and AI assistance in identifying the scale of the attack within days. The collaboration with OpenSSF has also been critical in coordinating a response, with both parties acknowledging the need for improved security measures to address the evolving landscape of supply chain threats. As the open-source community continues to grow, the challenge of securing these ecosystems becomes increasingly complex, requiring constant vigilance and innovation in cybersecurity measures.