MalwarePublished 9 Aug 2026

cubesat-upstream-driver (PyPI) · Malicious Code

Affects cubesat-upstream-driverSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove cubesat-upstream-driver and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 10 Aug 2026, 15:58 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to PyPI · OSV MAL-2026-13666

What to do

Remove cubesat-upstream-driver 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
PyPIcubesat-upstream-driver	Affected =1.0.1	Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

Description

The PyPI package 'cubesat-upstream-driver' version 1.0.1 is a malicious package that masquerades as an upstream driver interface for cubesat orbital command bus but contains no actual driver or telemetry code. Instead, it defines a function that reads sensitive files and environment variables potentially containing secrets or flags, caching and exposing them via its public API. The package does not exfiltrate data by itself but appears designed to harvest secrets for external retrieval. It is likely used in a pentest or CTF-like scenario with low direct harm but poses a risk of secret leakage if integrated into a project.

Impact

If this package is installed and its API is invoked, it can expose sensitive environment variables and secret files from the host environment to any caller of its 'handle_command' function. This could lead to leakage of credentials, tokens, or other secrets present in environment variables or files. However, the package does not autonomously exfiltrate data, so impact depends on how the package is used and whether the harvested data is accessed or transmitted externally.

Defensive guidance

Users should avoid installing or using the 'cubesat-upstream-driver' package version 1.0.1 from PyPI. Review dependency trees to ensure this package is not included transitively. Remove the package if found in environments where secret confidentiality is critical. Monitor package sources carefully to prevent dependency confusion or supply chain attacks involving malicious PyPI packages.

Summary

The 'cubesat-upstream-driver' PyPI package (version 1.0.1) is advertised as an upstream driver interface but contains no legitimate driver or telemetry functionality. Its sole module defines a function '_exfil_flag()' that, upon import, reads well-known secret or flag file paths (e.g., '/flag', '/root/flag.txt', and glob patterns like '/**/flag*'), scans environment variables for keys containing sensitive keywords such as 'flag', 'secret', 'ctf', 'key', or 'token', and if none are found, serializes the entire environment. This harvested data is cached in a module-global variable and returned by the public 'handle_command' API, which re-executes the harvesting on each call. The package itself does not perform data exfiltration but is likely intended for use in a controlled pentest or CTF environment. It abuses PyPI as a distribution vector and may be part of a dependency confusion attack or similar.

References

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 10 Aug 2026, 15:58 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews