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resolvedcritical

Malicious code in adload (PyPI)

The adload package on PyPI contained malicious code that executed spyware and information-stealing malware. It was part of a campaign by EsqueleSquad group that published nearly 6000 malicious packages across PyPI and NPM.

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Disclosed
Last updated
Blast radius
Potentially thousands of installations; part of a campaign distributing ~6000 malicious packages across PyPI and NPM.
Ecosystems
PyPI
Attack vectors
Compromised package
Threat actor
Esquelesquad
Affected entities
  • adloadPyPI package containing malicious code

The adload package published on PyPI was identified as containing malicious code designed to execute spyware and information-stealing malware. This package was part of a large-scale campaign attributed to the EsqueleSquad group.

The EsqueleSquad group published approximately 6000 malicious packages across both PyPI and NPM ecosystems as part of this coordinated campaign. The malicious adload package was detected and documented by the OpenSSF's malicious-packages repository.

The incident was identified and reported through security research, with the malicious package subsequently removed from PyPI. Users who installed the adload package during the window of availability were at risk of infection with information-stealing malware.

Indicators of compromise

Packages
  • adload

Remediation

  • Remove the adload package from all systems where it was installed
  • Scan affected systems for signs of spyware or information-stealing malware
  • Review system logs and network traffic for suspicious activity from the time of installation
  • Change credentials and secrets on any systems that may have been compromised
  • Monitor for unauthorized access or data exfiltration
  • Check PyPI and NPM for other packages from the same campaign and remove them

Sources

  1. GitHub Advisory GHSA-h46j-r86r-9h35 · GitHub Advisory Database

Cite this entry

"Malicious code in adload (PyPI)." supplychainattack.org, Supply Chain Attack Incident Catalog. Disclosed July 21, 2026; last updated July 21, 2026. https://supplychainattack.org/incident/malicious-code-in-adload-pypi-1f82cr

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