instal

GHSA-8w23-h462-63wj

Malicious code in instal (PyPI)

Details

**Severity:** Critical

**Affected versions:** `= 1.3.5`

## Source: kam193 (988f86dc0694b7d27a640809cef5d04ed431a36bb02bb02e69e20724a20db2b9)
Installing the package or importing the module exfiltrates basic information about the host, and the package has no other purpose.


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Category: PROBABLY_PENTEST - Packages looking like typical pentest packages, but also anything that looks like testing, exploring pre-prepared kits, research & co, with clearly low-harm possibilities.


Campaign: GENERIC-standard-pypi-install-pentest


Reasons (based on the campaign):


 - The package contains code to exfiltrate basic data from the system, like IP or username. It has a limited risk.


 - The package overrides the install command in setup.py to execute malicious code during installation.

## Source: ossf-package-analysis (4563e8e641a6f28c65cfedaf9af2b00744113c440f071f5f22ea78f0484bf763)
The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'instal' @ 1.3.5 (pypi) as malicious.

It is considered malicious because:

- The package communicates with a domain associated with malicious activity.

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Credit: [OpenSSF](https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages) ([source](https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/49d0cfba3689ed9b195d101d3a2a964c6a77f767/osv/malicious/pypi/instal/MAL-2026-4195.json))

**References:**
- https://bad-packages.kam193.eu/pypi/package/instal
- https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/49d0cfba3689ed9b195d101d3a2a964c6a77f767/osv/malicious/pypi/instal/MAL-2026-4195.json
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-8w23-h462-63wj

Compromised versions (1)

= 1.3.5

Any computer that installed or ran a compromised version should be considered fully compromised. Rotate every secret on that machine from a clean environment.