---
id: MAL-2026-14349
title: Malicious code in boto4 (PyPI)
summary: Malicious code in boto4 (PyPI)
severity: none
vendor: boto4
product: boto4
ecosystem: pip
affected:
  - boto4
published: '2026-08-21'
updated: '2026-08-21'
source: OSV
sourceUrl: 'https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-14349'
references:
  - url: 'https://bad-packages.kam193.eu/pypi/package/boto4'
  - url: 'https://pypi.org/project/boto4/1.0.0/'
  - url: 'https://pypi.org/project/boto4/1.0.2/'
tags:
  - osv
  - pip
ingestedAt: '2026-08-21T19:23:48.082Z'
---

## Overview


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

## Source: amazon-inspector (d3f621c5e2e8e94d1c8ae2ae176d4d882711536d25199df7a1cdddd410214faa)
setup.py defines a custom setuptools install command (`EjecutaElf`) that base64-decodes a ~17MB embedded Linux ELF, writes it to /tmp/.systemd-helper, chmods 0755, and spawns it via subprocess.Popen during `pip install` on Linux. The tarball's importable package is a stub named `reques` with an empty __init__.py, and PKG-INFO advertises the project as an `HTTP library for humans (unofficial fix)` authored by `Anonymous`, requiring `requests` — a cover story that lures installers looking for a requests-related fix while the sole functional behavior is native-code execution on the installer's host at install time. Package name `boto4` and internal directory `reques` are lookalikes for boto3/requests.

## Source: kam193 (b928f1f0d3af6242391cc626a8601d24f60c70d862bfebe6cfe0777c13a8c0b2)
During installation, package executes an embedded executable. The executable is capable of executing remote commands, establishing persistence, cryptomining, exfiltrating basic data, further network scanning and worm-style propagation. Actions are controlled via a Telegram bot.


---

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


Campaign: 2026-08-boto4


Reasons (based on the campaign):


 - cryptominer


 - worm


 - network-scan


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


 - uses-telegram-bot


 - persistence


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


## Affected packages

- `boto4`

## Remediation

Refer to the advisory for the patched release.