Random txt file called passwords

I have discovered the exact same files today- on both my laptop and my desktop. In the hard drive-library-application support-google-chrome-ZxcvbnData-1 and then the male names, female names, surnames, passwords. I tried calling apple who referred me to Google and google 'very helpfully' referred me to a page explaining how to remove cookies, and malware... I removed the who chrome folder and thousand of files seems to have been removed with it. Most I'm sure were necessary for Chrome function but I will not be using chrome again. All files had been downloaded back in November 2020 without my knowledge.

I have found the same file, containing 25482 lines of text, most of them I never did or never would have written on any of my Apple devices, ever. I did not find any record matching any of my current or previous passwords. I would guess you're safe as long as this file doesn't contain anything that you're actually using as a passwords, and it's probably best to just delete this file. It's suspicious though.

I don't think this file was there before the Big Sur update, because after I had updated and tried opening Keychain after writing "pass" in Spotlight, this file showed up, not Keychain as my usual first suggestion.

I found it too... The file had the same name: passwords.txt.

THINGS WHICH SCARED ME THE MOST:

1. The file was old and I ignored it for some time until recently I found that the file was modifying itself, I mean: it was kinda updating automatically from time to time.
2. I looked through most of the words(on my Mac)and OMG... to my surprise, the passwords.txt file included most of the words that I typed on my Mac since I bought it.
3. I searched extensively about the issue but I didn't find any video or article relating to the passwords.txt file.
4. But some of the sites mentioned that it was a malware which saves all the keystrokes that you perform on your Mac and even expose the back-end stuff of your Mac to some other PC. (it might be, and if it is then consider it as new)
5. I don't know about you but just check if there is a ds.txt or some other file(I am sorry, I don't remember the file name clearly but it starts with 'd') and if you find it then I suggest you to move both passwords.txt and ds.txt file to trash and empty the trash.
6. I did the same as I didn't find any useful solution to it. It seems very few people have this issue or most of them probably aren't aware of it.

Just delete the above mentioned file. I did it and nothing has changed since then. The only thing that has changed is: I have become less freaked out now.

Hope you found it useful :)

Yes, exactly! I just bought a Mac from Apple's Refurbished Store online. I was setting it up at home because, (as I was told) the Apple Store no longer does in-person computer set-up services due to Covid-19.

I found the "passwords" .txt file as well as other .txt files with random male names, female names, surnames, and apparently common terms mined from American television shows. It's quite disturbing and suspicious that it was located in the "Application Support" folder for Chrome.

Thank you for sharing your experiences. I'll share the steps I took:

I immediately called Apple Support to question why these files were downloaded to my new laptop (purchased from the Certified Refurbished Mac Store). They could not provide any explanation, so I became suspicious and returned the computer, believing my security and identity to have been compromised. They did ship a 'clean' replacement laptop, and I began setting it up from clean state... however, when I downloaded Chrome from Safari and installed it, the same offending .txt files reappeared again. It is unlikely this is a coincidence, to be replicated on two completely different/new devices. Now I am concerned that it is not just a random issue on one laptop out of a million. The files are located in the exact same path, and the folder labeled "1" contains the same 6 text files, including 'passwords':

I have just discovered this passwords.txt file as well and am somewhat relieved, although also more shocked in a different way, that it's not just my computer. I have a 2015 PowerBook Pro running 10.15.4 Catalina. I just installed Chrome in September because there was one site I was using that wouldn't open properly on Safari. I think I'll uninstall it now that it seems related to that. Creepy.

So "Chrome can let you know" really? The most advanced software giant in the world needs to put a text file containing profanity onto user's personal computers for their own protection? ... really? I'm sorry, but that is outrageous.

Thank you for posting! In my opinion, it is beyond creepy and simply unacceptable. I have sent an email to the New York Times Cybersecurity correspondent to see if they would like to help investigate and get to the root cause of this problem. If I receive any word I’ll update the Community.

I was looking through Finder and found this, as well! The file included about every bad word I could possibly come up with.

Any chance you just bought a Mac and downloaded chrome recently?

Nope, mine is 2017. Never seen a spotlight result as “passwords.txt”’ before Big Sur update.

EXACTLY. Something's not right.

I also wanted to know what this file was and found it's a list of passwords Chrome uses to prevent suggesting certain types of passwords.

Yes..... wow that is terrifying

Yeah I heard a lot about the passwords.txt just being something that chrome uses to prevent it users from making weak passwords or that the list is just compromised passwords so that the you do have a password in that list chrome can let you know. After finding passwords.txt I deleted it and then proceeding to reset my Mac. After downloading chrome, it came right back and it was in the application support files for google in the chrome folder. It really suspects I just deleted chrome to be safe.