# MAL-2026-12097: Malicious code in @wethenorth12/mnemonic-to-key (npm)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `@wethenorth12/mnemonic-to-key` (npm)
- **Published:** 5 Aug 2026

## What is MAL-2026-12097?

MAL-2026-12097 is a malicious package in @wethenorth12/mnemonic-to-key, published on 5 Aug 2026. 

### Official description

Package advertises itself as a drop-in replacement for bip39 and exposes stub wallet functions (createWallet, generateMnemonic) to attract wallet-handling projects. On module load, index.js reads the full process.env dictionary along with hostname, username, home directory, platform, and cwd, JSON-encodes and base64-encodes the payload, and transmits it as a URL query parameter to a hardcoded Telegram Bot API sendMessage endpoint (bot 7231970337, chat 8969499041). A temporary flag file is written to suppress repeated sends. Environment variables in developer and CI environments routinely contain cloud credentials, npm/GitHub tokens, and database secrets, so the require-time beacon is a direct credential-theft channel controlled by the package author.

## What should I do about MAL-2026-12097?

Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
MAL-2026-12097 is a malicious package: @wethenorth12/mnemonic-to-key (npm). Every version was published to cause harm.

Task:
1. Search this repository's dependency manifests and lockfiles for the package, including transitive dependencies.
2. If it is present, remove it, regenerate the lockfile with the project's package manager, and replace whatever it was used for.
3. List any CI runners, developer machines or containers that installed it, so their secrets can be rotated.
4. If the package is not used anywhere, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-12097/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-12097/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-12097

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-12097/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.