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Malicious package

chai-as-operatednpm

Advisory published Updated

chai-as-operated is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-6350) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious version 6.0.3). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in chai-as-operated (npm)

MAL-2026-6350
Immediate action
Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.
npm uninstall chai-as-operated

What this malware does

Package name impersonates the widely-used chai-as-promised (README instructs chai.use(chaiAsOperated)) and the README badges further impersonate pino (npm/GitHub Actions shields point at pinojs/pino). On require('chai-as-operated'), index.js exposes a middleware factory that spawns a detached node./lib/initializeCaller.js. That script defines a fake process object containing base64-obfuscated values (DEV_API_KEY decodes to https://amethyst-lorrin-26.tiiny.site/index.json, plus obfuscated x-secret-key header credentials), then performs axios.get(apiEndpoint,...) and executes the response body via new Function.constructor('require', response)(require) with retry logic. The remote payload runs with full Node require access in a detached background process. The destination is a free tiiny.site host — author-mutable, anonymous infrastructure — and the URL is hidden behind base64 to evade casual review and string scanners. This is a classic typosquat + remote-execution dropper.

Malicious versions

1 flagged
6.0.3

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

927e5f9d908ce243e10ddf51e2463ac96c6f685790ec9f35dcc7309c90ad8407

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer
  1. Find it

    Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for chai-as-operated (version 6.0.3).

  2. If you installed it — respond

    chai-as-operated is built to steal secrets, so assume every credential the build or runtime could read is compromised. Remove it from your project and lockfile, then rotate ALL exposed secrets — npm/registry tokens, cloud keys, CI/CD secrets, SSH keys, and any .env values — from a known-clean machine. Audit logs for unauthorized use of those credentials.

  3. Did it already run?

    If chai-as-operated was installed, its post-install payload may already have run. Removing the package does not undo that — check outbound connections and credential use from the install window onward.

Frequently asked questions

No. chai-as-operated on npm has been identified as a malicious package (version 6.0.3 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

IN-MAL-2026-007379

References

Credits

  • Amazon Inspector · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks chai-as-operated-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.

Explore

chai-as-operated (npm) malicious package — MAL-2026-6350 | O3 Security