thedatanpm
Advisory published Updated
thedata is a confirmed malicious npm package (MAL-2026-11400) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2…). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in thedata (npm)
What this malware does
The package's main entry (index.js) re-exports two values, rsaKey and desKey, from apps/docs/app/theta.js, which simply readFileSync's apps/docs/app/rsa.db and apps/docs/app/des.db as UTF-8 strings. Both.db files are base64-encoded OpenSSL 'Salted__' ciphertext. The package contains no code that decrypts, uses, or otherwise interacts with these blobs, and no documented API beyond exposing them. The package name resembles 'Theta Data' per the README but the shipped functionality does not implement any such client. Installing or importing thedata by itself performs no network activity, no filesystem access outside its own directory, no credential reads, and no code execution — the encrypted payloads are inert unless a separate consumer supplies the decryption key. The shape (a nearly-empty library whose only purpose is to serve opaque encrypted content to another party) is unusual for a legitimate library but does not by itself establish installer harm from this package alone.
Any computer that has this package installed or running should be considered fully compromised. All secrets and keys stored on that computer should be rotated immediately from a different computer. The package should be removed, but as full control of the computer may have been given to an outside entity, there is no guarantee that removing the package will remove all malicious software resulting from installing it.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for thedata (14 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
thedata 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.
Did it already run?
If thedata 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
Campaign
References
Credits
- Amazon Inspector · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks thedata-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.