Ethical Hacking News
A recent discovery by cybersecurity company Socket has revealed a malicious Python package on PyPI, specifically designed to target Discord developers. The package has been downloaded over 11,000 times since its upload in March 2022, putting thousands of users at risk of falling victim to a remote access trojan (RAT) malware attack.
A malicious Python package named "discordpydebug" was found on PyPI, targeting Discord developers.The package has been downloaded over 11,000 times since its upload in March 2022, exploiting the lack of security audits on PyPI.The malware transforms devices into remote-controlled systems that execute instructions from an attacker-controlled server.The attackers can gain unauthorized access to credentials, steal data, and deploy further malware payloads.Firewalls and security software can be bypassed due to outbound HTTP polling instead of inbound connections.Developers should ensure packages come from official authors, review code for suspicious functions, and use security tools to detect malicious packages.
A recent discovery by cybersecurity company Socket has revealed a malicious Python package on the Python Package Index (PyPI), specifically designed to target Discord developers. The package, named "discordpydebug," has been masquerading as an error logger utility for developers working on Discord bots and has been downloaded over 11,000 times since its upload in March 2022.
According to Socket researchers, the malware targets developers who build or maintain Discord bots, typically indie developers, automation engineers, or small teams who might install such tools without extensive scrutiny. The package is designed to exploit this lack of vigilance, using misleading descriptions and legitimate-sounding names to appear trustworthy. This tactic allows attackers to take advantage of the fact that PyPI does not enforce deep security audits of uploaded packages.
Once installed, the malicious package transforms the device into a remote-controlled system that will execute instructions sent from an attacker-controlled command-and-control (C2) server. This allows the attackers to gain unauthorized access to credentials and sensitive data, steal information without being detected, remotely execute code for deploying further malware payloads, and obtain information that can help them move laterally within the network.
The malware lacks persistence or privilege escalation mechanisms but uses outbound HTTP polling instead of inbound connections, making it possible to bypass firewalls and security software, especially in loosely controlled development environments. The attackers also include functions to read from and write to files on the host machine using JSON operations when triggered by specific keywords from the C2 server, providing threat actors with visibility into sensitive data.
In order to mitigate the risk of installing backdoored malware from online code repositories, software developers should ensure that the packages they download and install come from the official author before installation, especially for popular ones, to avoid typosquatting. Additionally, when using open-source libraries, they should review the code for suspicious or obfuscated functions and consider using security tools to detect and block malicious packages.
The discovery of this malicious package on PyPI serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining vigilance in the cybersecurity landscape. As developers continue to rely on online repositories for their projects, it is crucial that they remain aware of potential threats and take steps to protect themselves against such attacks.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/A-Trojan-in-Plain-Sight-The-Discord-Developer-Malware-Scandal-on-PyPI-ehn.shtml
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/malicious-pypi-package-hides-rat-malware-targets-discord-devs-since-2022/
Published: Thu May 8 13:55:17 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
