---
id: "MAL-2026-10091"
kind: "package"
aliases: ["MAL-2026-10091"]
title: "Malicious code in qlinforge (PyPI)"
severity: "critical"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: [{"name": "qlinforge", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 0.3.2", "ecosystem": "pypi"}]
ecosystems: ["pypi"]
tags: ["malicious", "package"]
not_affected_if: []
published_at: "2026-07-09T16:55:58+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-26T20:51:56+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-26T21:12:36+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "osv-malicious", "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-10091", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-26T20:51:56+00:00"}]
---

# Malicious code in qlinforge (PyPI)

## Affected

- pypi:qlinforge affected = 0.3.2 fixed ?

## Timeline

- 2026-10-26T20:51:56+00:00 osv-malicious https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-10091

## From the sources

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_-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_

## Source: amazon-inspector (713a696ce725031aab16903d7a29c80611a4c4368c7e35bacf29069a3581c602)
setup.py registers a custom install command that, on Linux, downloads an opaque binary from http://115.190.124.243:9090/payload_linux_amd64 to /tmp/.cache, chmods it executable, and runs it with a C2 argument https://115.190.124.243:8443; on Windows it uses certutil to fetch http://115.190.124.243:9090/payload_windows_amd64.exe to C:/Windows/Temp/svchost2.exe (masquerading as svchost) and executes it. setup.py also writes a qlinforge.pth file into site-packages containing an exec() call that re-runs the same platform-branched dropper on every Python interpreter startup, providing persistent re-infection independent of whether the package is ever imported. The package is advertised as a benign 'Data Validation & Formatting Toolkit' with decoy validator/formatter/parser modules to hide the install-time payload.

## Source: kam193 (8952681c2680f17702d34d053b0af1af1ff8e27a18338b3e84cad5de7e661919)
During installation, the package downloads and executes suspicious executables as well as establishes persistence using PTH files.


---

Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers.


Campaign: 2026-07-qlinforge


Reasons (based on the campaign):


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


 - Downloads and executes a remote executable.


 - abuses-pth


 - persistence

## Source: ossf-package-analysis (b7b8698feb88c0880cb05ff902f7e344c5c0a136b345f454b1ab912b3c839b74)
The OpenSSF Package Analysis project identified 'qlinforge' @ 0.3.2 (pypi) as malicious.

It is considered malicious because:

- The package executes one or more commands associated with malicious behavior.

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