MalwarePublished 24 Sep 2026Updated 30 Sep 2026

prosocks (PyPI) · Malicious Code

Affects prosocksSource GCVE Database

Malicious package : remove prosocks and rotate any secrets on hosts that installed it.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 16:22 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to PyPI · OSV MAL-2026-17167

What to do

Remove prosocks 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
PyPIprosocks	Affected 1.0.0 – 1.0.32 28 affected builds	Fixed in–

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Description

--- _-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_ ## Source: amazon-inspector (cb2bf0fd5f445eed9825601f2b4497502054176d106d4fecb9eabf38312dd582) prosocks 1.0.25 enrolls the installer's host as a remote-controlled SOCKS5 exit node under a hardcoded control plane at https://kalnetz.store. setup.py's custom install command writes prosocks.bat into the Windows Startup folder (establishing boot persistence) with the command '"{python_exe}" -m prosocks https://kalnetz.store' and immediately spawns that process during `pip install`. The top-level module additionally calls _auto_launch() so that any `import prosocks` spawns a detached subprocess running the same agent. Once running, ProSocksAgent.register() queries ip-api.com and api.ipify.org for the host's public IP, generates an agent_id and proxy password, and POSTs agent_id, hostname, public IP, proxy port, and password to https://kalnetz.store/api/register, then binds a SOCKS5 server on 0.0.0.0:9050 accessible from any network the host can reach. Heartbeat and bandwidth telemetry are POSTed to /api/heartbeat and /api/bandwidth, and IP changes trigger re-registration. All requests to the panel and IP-lookup services are made with TLS verification disabled (verify=False). The combination of install-time execution, import-time execution, Windows Startup persistence, hardcoded non-first-party control plane, and an unauthenticated SOCKS5 listener on all interfaces whose credentials are handed to that control plane matches a proxyware/botnet backdoor. ## Source: kam193 (a1ca37b881f19975a8ab8b23bd5e69b51355333374385aabfc5784b69bf95545) The package automatically joins the machine to a proxy network. Depending on the version, it can happen during the package installation or when importing the module. --- Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers. Campaign: 2026-09-prosocks Reasons (based on the campaign): - other - peristence-autorun - persistence

Impact

Hosts that install or import prosocks become part of a proxy network controlled by a third party, exposing them to unauthorized use as exit nodes for SOCKS5 traffic. This can lead to abuse of the host's network resources, potential legal liability, and compromise of the host's security and privacy. The persistence mechanism ensures the malicious proxy service survives reboots. The lack of authentication on the SOCKS5 server and disabled TLS verification further increase the risk of exploitation and interception.

Defensive guidance

Users should immediately uninstall prosocks and remove any persistence mechanisms such as the prosocks.bat file in the Windows Startup folder. Avoid installing or importing this package. Monitor for any unexpected SOCKS5 services running on port 9050 and block outbound connections to https://kalnetz.store. Since this is a malicious package, no vendor advisory or fix is available; remediation requires manual removal and network controls.

Summary

Prosocks versions 1.0.0 through 1.0.30 include malicious functionality that enrolls the installer's host as a remote-controlled SOCKS5 exit node controlled by https://kalnetz.store. The setup.py installs a batch file in the Windows Startup folder to maintain persistence and immediately launches the agent during installation. Importing the module also triggers a detached subprocess running the agent. The agent collects and sends host information (hostname, public IP, proxy port, password) to the control server and binds a SOCKS5 server on all interfaces at port 9050 without authentication. Telemetry data is sent to the control server, and TLS verification is disabled for all communications, increasing risk. This behavior matches proxyware or botnet backdoor activity.

References

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 25 Sep 2026, 04:43 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews