MalwarePublished 8 Jun 2026Updated 9 Jul 2026

rsquests (PyPI) · Malicious Code

Affects rsquestsSource GCVE Database

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

Data as of 11 Jul 2026, 09:43 UTC

Classification

Malicious package

Published to PyPI · OSV MAL-2026-5304

What to do

Remove rsquests 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
PyPIrsquests	Affected =2.34.2 =2.34.3	Fixed in–

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Description

--- _-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-_ ## Source: amazon-inspector (e2041887c315474d0722cbf717e189ec1260e209c5f00da5ca3a52a60c6aebb2) The package name `rsquests` is a single-character insertion typo of the top-100 PyPI package `requests`. Package metadata and source are a verbatim copy of upstream `requests`: `rsquests/__version__.py` sets `__title__ = "requests"`, METADATA lists `Author-email: Kenneth Reitz <me@kennethreitz.org>`, and `top_level.txt` declares the top-level package as `requests` (so `import requests` after installing `rsquests` resolves to this package's bundled copy, shadowing the real upstream if it isn't installed). The full public API (get/post/put/delete/Session/...) is replicated, so a developer who mistypes `pip install requests` as `pip install rsquests` gets working behavior and may not notice the substitution. No exfiltration, RCE, dropper, credential harvest, or silent-relay payload is present in this version — the install-time and import-time code paths match the upstream library. The risk is name-confusion plus future-version risk: the squatted name normalizes the typo and provides a vector if a later release introduces a malicious payload. Routing to human review per typosquat-without-payload policy — name-similarity is a subjective signal and the absence of a current payload means this does not meet the bar for an automated block. ## Source: kam193 (b32959e10bc6b1df57d105a5e5d74cbe7b69660cb7a1e78185d3f5e0e0f07e10) Typosquatting package published from a compromised account with an obfuscated infostealer. The infostealer is a heavily obfuscated JavaScript code executed using Bun runtime on Python startup. It collectes all kinds of sensitive data, including API keys, credentials to package repositories, cryptocurrency assets, password manager data. Infostealer actively queries online services to collect additional secrets as well as attempts to gain persistence and spread further by publishing infected packages using collected credentials. Data are exfiltrated likely using Github. The code seems to threaten to wipe the user's data if it detects invalid GitHub tokens. Cleanup should be done with caution. It seems to be related to the recent Mini Shai Hulud campaign. --- Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers. Campaign: 2026-06-compr-woodpecker Reasons (based on the campaign): - compromised-package - exfiltration-env-variables - exfiltration-cloud-tokens - exfiltration-credentials - abuses-pth - obfuscation - infostealer - The package contains code to detect if it is running in a sandbox environment. - exfiltration-crypto - files-exfiltration - destructive-actions

Impact

The malicious versions of 'rsquests' pose a significant risk of sensitive data exfiltration including API keys, cloud tokens, credentials, cryptocurrency assets, and password manager data. The malware can gain persistence and propagate by publishing infected packages, increasing the attack surface. It also has destructive capabilities that may wipe user data under certain conditions. This can lead to credential compromise, loss of sensitive assets, and disruption of development environments.

Defensive guidance

Users should avoid installing the 'rsquests' package, especially versions 2.34.2 and 2.34.3. If installed, immediate removal and thorough system inspection are recommended due to the destructive and persistent nature of the malware. Developers should verify package names carefully before installation to avoid typosquatting attacks. Monitor official PyPI advisories for updates or removal of the malicious package.

Summary

The 'rsquests' package is a typosquatting malicious package targeting users who mistype 'requests' during installation. Versions 2.34.2 and 2.34.3 contain obfuscated JavaScript infostealer code executed on Python startup using the Bun runtime. This code collects a wide range of sensitive information including environment variables, cloud tokens, credentials, and cryptocurrency assets. It actively queries online services for additional secrets, attempts to gain persistence, and spreads by publishing infected packages using stolen credentials. The malware also includes destructive capabilities triggered by invalid GitHub tokens. The campaign is identified as 2026-06-compr-woodpecker and is associated with the Mini Shai Hulud campaign. There is no evidence of remote code execution or exfiltration in earlier versions that only replicate the legitimate 'requests' API.

References

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What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 9 Jul 2026, 09:51 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews