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Malicious code in zscaner (PyPI)

Malware Published Jul 21, 2026 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jul 21, 2026

Package

pip zscaner (pip)

Affected versions

= 1.2.0
= 1.3.0

Patched versions

None

Description

Source: kam193 (ee09d48ac6f9e7d0460c2a2bc7c9aaae013ce04ac342eb164683b214616e56d1)

Campaign is split into multiple packages that altogether exfiltrates data from desktop Telegram application.

  1. "pyapiepo" is a cover package that provides some useless features BUT also imports "zscaner"
  2. "zscaner", when imported, automatically runs a function that is an entry point to the whole process; it uses the "scan" from "reqinstall" to walk through directories. The package also provides main logic: filtering files, triggering archiving directories and exfiltrating them.
  3. "reqinstall" ensures "requests" are installed and provides a directory tree scanning function.
  4. "zmaker" provides functions to build archives from collected files.
  5. "zsender" provides functions to exfiltrate data, the remote URL and a function to deobfuscate configuration in other packages.

Altogether, they look for "Telegram Desktop" folder, archive user data stored there and exfiltrate to a remote location.


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

Campaign: 2025-04-zscaner

Reasons (based on the campaign):

  • target:telegram

  • exfiltration-generic

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


Credit: OpenSSF (source)

References

Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jul 21, 2026
Reviewed Jul 21, 2026
Last updated Jul 21, 2026

EPSS score

Weaknesses

Embedded Malicious Code

The product contains code that appears to be malicious in nature. Learn more on MITRE.

GHSA ID

GHSA-7h98-3phx-875g

Source code

No known source code
Improvements are not currently accepted on this advisory because this package is malware and has no patched versions. If there is something to change, please open an issue at https://github.com/github/advisory-database/issues.