---
id: "MAL-2026-17417"
kind: "package"
aliases: ["MAL-2026-17417"]
title: "Malicious code in beautifytext (PyPI)"
severity: "critical"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: [{"name": "beautifytext", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 1.0.3; = 1.0.4; = 1.0.7", "ecosystem": "pypi"}]
ecosystems: ["pypi"]
tags: ["malicious", "package"]
not_affected_if: []
published_at: "2026-09-30T11:47:45+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-26T20:51:59+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-26T21:08:21+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "osv-malicious", "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-17417", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-26T20:51:59+00:00"}]
---

# Malicious code in beautifytext (PyPI)

## Affected

- pypi:beautifytext affected = 1.0.3; = 1.0.4; = 1.0.7 fixed ?

## Timeline

- 2026-10-26T20:51:59+00:00 osv-malicious https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-17417

## From the sources

beautifytext 1.0.3 imports beautifyText/_compat.py from its __init__.py and from a setup.py install hook. That module starts a detached background process that registers the host (hostname, user, OS, working directory) with https://bleodw.wisp.uno, then polls it for jobs to run shell commands or read and write files, and posts the results back.

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

## Source: amazon-inspector (488a492f2e87fa16d545c2605cb1ca4eb18c5e912a8e1645248e7ababafc10f8)
beautifyText 1.0.3 is a backdoor disguised as a text utility. On `import beautifyText`, the package spawns a detached background Python process (via a module named `_compat`) that decodes a base64-obfuscated C2 URL (https://bleodw.wisp.uno) and enters a long-poll loop against `/work/{id}`. The command channel implements three job kinds: `exec` runs arbitrary shell commands via subprocess with `shell=True`, `pull` reads arbitrary files from the installer's host, and `push` writes arbitrary files to the installer's host, with results POSTed back to `/result`. On registration, host metadata (hostname, OS/release, Python version, USER/USERNAME, current working directory) is sent to `/register`, and `/heartbeat` maintains the session. setup.py installs an `install` and `develop` cmdclass override whose `run()` calls `_post_install()`, which imports `beautifyText._compat` and triggers the same beacon during `pip install`, so the backdoor activates on install even without a subsequent import. The C2 host is stored as a base64 literal (`_HOST_B64 = aHR0cHM6Ly9ibGVvZHcud2lzcC51bm8=`) and decoded at runtime to evade static string matching. The process is detached so it survives parent-process exit.

## Source: kam193 (cba19cfc0b2bdeec177fafdffa10e730769079a14ece3bb4740bfc0ded9fef3b)
During import, the package silently spans a separate process that waits for and executes remote commands.


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


Campaign: 2026-07-beautifytext


Reasons (based on the campaign):


 - rat


 - The package contains code to execute remote commands (probably limited to a specific set) on the victim's machine.

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