MalwarePublished 13 Sep 2026Updated 14 Sep 2026

chroma-client (PyPI) · Malicious Code

Affects chroma-clientSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove chroma-client and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 16:19 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to PyPI · OSV MAL-2026-16143

What to do

Remove chroma-client from every project, lockfile and image that pulls it in. Treat any host that installed it as compromised: rotate the credentials, tokens and keys it could read, from a clean machine.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
PyPIchroma-client	Affected =0.5.7	Fixed in–

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Description

--- _-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_ ## Source: kam193 (f74658ebb12f3a5cbf8577a768965f3ae81fbe8a156acc843ecffe3dfe2e5153) This package does not carry any malicious payload yet, but uses exactly the same technique as other packages from the campaign aiming to mislead LLM security tools. --- Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers. Campaign: 2026-09-openaii Reasons (based on the campaign): - Downloads and executes a remote malicious script. - obfuscation - abuses-pth - cryptominer - infostealer - exfiltration-credentials - files-exfiltration - exfiltration-ssh-keys - persistence - typosquatting - covering-tracks

Impact

If exploited or updated with a malicious payload, this package could lead to unauthorized remote code execution, theft of credentials and SSH keys, cryptomining on the victim system, exfiltration of sensitive files, and persistence mechanisms that maintain attacker access. Currently, no active payload is present, so direct impact is not confirmed for this version.

Defensive guidance

Users should avoid installing or using the chroma-client package version 0.5.7 from PyPI due to its association with a malicious campaign. Monitoring for updates from the package maintainer or PyPI advisories is recommended.

Summary

The chroma-client PyPI package version 0.5.7 is identified as part of a malicious campaign (2026-09-openaii) that uses remote script downloads and execution, obfuscation, abuse of path techniques, and typosquatting. While this package version does not currently contain an active malicious payload, it mimics behaviors of packages that perform infostealing, cryptomining, credential and SSH key exfiltration, file exfiltration, persistence, and anti-forensic activities. The campaign's intent is clearly malicious, aiming to evade detection by large language model security tools.

References

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 14 Sep 2026, 00:40 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews