---
id: "MAL-2026-17756"
kind: "package"
aliases: ["MAL-2026-17756"]
title: "Malicious code in pafer (PyPI)"
severity: "critical"
cvss: null
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: [{"name": "pafer", "fixed": [], "affected": "= 0.9.7; = 0.9.8", "ecosystem": "pypi"}]
ecosystems: ["pypi"]
tags: ["malicious", "package"]
not_affected_if: []
published_at: "2026-10-10T11:11:35+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-26T20:52:00+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-26T21:06:18+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "osv-malicious", "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-17756", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-26T20:52:00+00:00"}]
---

# Malicious code in pafer (PyPI)

## Affected

- pypi:pafer affected = 0.9.7; = 0.9.8 fixed ?

## Timeline

- 2026-10-26T20:52:00+00:00 osv-malicious https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-17756

## From the sources

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

## Source: kam193 (a74b7c5b356a87fe0262954cbedbcc432497ab25edaccbade0ce9ce04b16a8c9)
In this campaign, the main package (webreader) has an embeded pickle disguised as a config. A related dependency (pafer) contains code to load the pickle. During unpickling, malicious code embeded in the pickle file is automatically executed. It then establishes persistence via a PTH file and downloads the next stage payload. It finally acts like a RAT, allowing remote exfiltration and code execution.


---

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


Campaign: 2026-10-webreader


Reasons (based on the campaign):


 - rat


 - Downloads and executes a remote malicious script.


 - obfuscation


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


 - abuses-pth


 - persistence


 - The malicious code is intentionally included in a dependency of the package


 - files-exfiltration

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