---
id: "MAL-2026-17167"
kind: "package"
aliases: ["MAL-2026-17167"]
title: "Malicious code in prosocks (PyPI)"
severity: "critical"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: [{"name": "prosocks", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 1.0.0; = 1.0.1; = 1.0.2; = 1.0.3; = 1.0.4; = 1.0.5; = 1.0.6; = 1.0.7; = 1.0.8; = 1.0.9; = 1.0.13; = 1.0.14; = 1.0.15; = 1.0.16; = 1.0.17; = 1.0.18; = 1.0.19; = 1.0.20; = 1.0.21; = 1.0.22; = 1.0.23; = 1.0.25; = 1.0.26; = 1.0.27; = 1.0.32; = 1.0.28; = 1.0.29; = 1.0.30", "ecosystem": "pypi"}]
ecosystems: ["pypi"]
tags: ["malicious", "package"]
not_affected_if: []
published_at: "2026-09-24T20:27:37+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-26T20:51:58+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-26T21:10:31+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "osv-malicious", "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-17167", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-26T20:51:58+00:00"}]
---

# Malicious code in prosocks (PyPI)

## Affected

- pypi:prosocks affected = 1.0.0; = 1.0.1; = 1.0.2; = 1.0.3; = 1.0.4; = 1.0.5; = 1.0.6; = 1.0.7; = 1.0.8; = 1.0.9; = 1.0.13; = 1.0.14; = 1.0.15; = 1.0.16; = 1.0.17; = 1.0.18; = 1.0.19; = 1.0.20; = 1.0.21; = 1.0.22; = 1.0.23; = 1.0.25; = 1.0.26; = 1.0.27; = 1.0.32; = 1.0.28; = 1.0.29; = 1.0.30 fixed ?

## Timeline

- 2026-10-26T20:51:58+00:00 osv-malicious https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-17167

## From the sources

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

## Source: amazon-inspector (cb2bf0fd5f445eed9825601f2b4497502054176d106d4fecb9eabf38312dd582)
prosocks 1.0.25 enrolls the installer's host as a remote-controlled SOCKS5 exit node under a hardcoded control plane at https://kalnetz.store. setup.py's custom install command writes prosocks.bat into the Windows Startup folder (establishing boot persistence) with the command '"{python_exe}" -m prosocks https://kalnetz.store' and immediately spawns that process during `pip install`. The top-level module additionally calls _auto_launch() so that any `import prosocks` spawns a detached subprocess running the same agent. Once running, ProSocksAgent.register() queries ip-api.com and api.ipify.org for the host's public IP, generates an agent_id and proxy password, and POSTs agent_id, hostname, public IP, proxy port, and password to https://kalnetz.store/api/register, then binds a SOCKS5 server on 0.0.0.0:9050 accessible from any network the host can reach. Heartbeat and bandwidth telemetry are POSTed to /api/heartbeat and /api/bandwidth, and IP changes trigger re-registration. All requests to the panel and IP-lookup services are made with TLS verification disabled (verify=False). The combination of install-time execution, import-time execution, Windows Startup persistence, hardcoded non-first-party control plane, and an unauthenticated SOCKS5 listener on all interfaces whose credentials are handed to that control plane matches a proxyware/botnet backdoor.

## Source: kam193 (a1ca37b881f19975a8ab8b23bd5e69b51355333374385aabfc5784b69bf95545)
The package automatically joins the machine to a proxy network. Depending on the version, it can happen during the package installation or when importing the module.


---

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


Campaign: 2026-09-prosocks


Reasons (based on the campaign):


 - other


 - peristence-autorun


 - persistence

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_