OceanLotus suspected of distributing ZiChatBot malware via wheel packages in PyPI
Between July 2025 and present, threat actors suspected to be OceanLotus distributed malicious wheel packages through PyPI targeting both Windows and Linux platforms. Three fake libraries (uuid32-utils, colorinal, and termncolor) were created to imitate legitimate packages, implementing a sophisticated supply chain attack. The packages deployed droppers that delivered ZiChatBot, a previously unknown malware family using Zulip's REST APIs as command and control infrastructure instead of traditional C2 servers. The malware supports executing shellcode commands and establishes persistence through registry keys on Windows or crontab on Linux. Attribution to OceanLotus is based on 64% similarity with known droppers analyzed by KTAE system. The malicious packages were swiftly removed from PyPI following discovery.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
OceanLotus threat actors conducted a supply chain attack by uploading three malicious wheel packages (uuid32-utils, colorinal, termncolor) to PyPI, targeting both Windows and Linux platforms. These packages deployed droppers that installed ZiChatBot, a novel malware family leveraging Zulip REST APIs for command and control. The malware enables execution of shellcode commands and persistence through Windows registry keys or Linux crontab entries. Attribution to OceanLotus is supported by a 64% similarity score with known droppers analyzed by the KTAE system. The malicious packages were removed from PyPI following discovery. No patch or vendor advisory is available, and the threat is assessed as medium severity.
Potential Impact
The supply chain attack allowed OceanLotus to distribute malware via trusted Python package repositories, potentially compromising systems that installed the malicious packages. ZiChatBot malware can execute arbitrary shellcode and maintain persistence, posing risks of unauthorized system control. The use of Zulip REST APIs for command and control represents a novel evasion technique. However, the malicious packages were removed from PyPI promptly, and no known exploits in the wild have been reported to date.
Mitigation Recommendations
The malicious packages have been removed from PyPI. Users should verify the integrity and authenticity of Python packages before installation, preferably using trusted sources and package signing where available. There is no official patch or remediation guidance from vendors. Monitoring for unusual registry or crontab modifications and network traffic to Zulip APIs may help detect infections. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check PyPI and vendor advisories for updates.
Indicators of Compromise
- hash: ba2f1868f2af9e191ebf47a5fab5cbab
- hash: 1995682d600e329b7833003a01609252
- hash: 5152410aeef667ffaf42d40746af4d84
- hash: 38b75af6cbdb60127decd59140d10640
- hash: 1c0a5b35c003ac3182c589c6e014a42678a0647f
- hash: 8a4a444761ca8836e6022af4a0e86a2be031aaa6
- hash: 08a75a092e9793b6d3eb473c246d3c5e4750cd525342276d8bf1ab7d1fe45112
- hash: d05d6b08078b3d153ab821cd4dd6b5f5bd390c007c6d01653f459c35b917b80c
- hash: ccc71ba929add58ad89dff289295659b69ad43a5
- hash: 437a824e63975a350108e20881020ad288fb6343d4f61fff7d64811270219dea
- hash: 02f4701559fc40067e69bb426776a54f
- hash: 0a5a06fa2e74a57fd5ed8e85f04a483a
- hash: 22538214a3c917ff3b13a9e2035ca521
- hash: 454b85dc32dc8023cd2be04e4501f16a
- hash: 48be833b0b0ca1ad3cf99c66dc89c3f4
- hash: 5598baa59c716590d8841c6312d8349e
- hash: 652f4da6c467838957de19eed40d39da
- hash: 968782b4feb4236858e3253f77ecf4b0
- hash: a26019b68ef060e593b8651262cbd0f6
- hash: b55b6e364be44f27e3fecdce5ad69eca
- hash: c33782c94c29dd268a42cbe03542bca5
- hash: e200f2f6a2120286f9056743bc94a49d
- hash: e4a0ad38fd18a0e11199d1c52751908b
- hash: fce65c540d8186d9506e2f84c38a57c4
- hash: 05391e972db01ed9d55b202b9ae3feec700eabf5
- hash: 06adabcb962b5cf5d9fb63542518a5b80b5a9ad4
- hash: 67b2e7eb4255f6b990f1bd9917ea54228af2c6a1
- hash: 6a8d20cf325b766e69f6133b3a7325034b76948c
- hash: 93708b635f11f182d5541274d0ac7b7d5baf3795
- hash: c7a2684ec7dc6484655e8dfe5b184341c416a3e0
- hash: 2b5225816089467aacdcd201a44989a2f78491c29f6fad41b52731bfefc1b886
- hash: 50d2fb75ef2bb56915e28595574663d8a1e0193e335e3e4f0ad2c0a4770fd787
- hash: 68dfa75e916f4fb44a071851965493a324d331e37b791e21c45feba54aec23d8
- hash: be19d98b5449a052c03b189d9687543d619c8c1893f12709ef6bef6ff7657510
- hash: c7e93e50f1f241e63e738925e4f8c7f8ee004506723c2b49ed0789100f4ce4ba
- hash: f85f44ebdd341f22f0cbd408ee40f162d697fc48c3824c897b61980fa38a4d92
- domain: helper.zulipchat.com
OceanLotus suspected of distributing ZiChatBot malware via wheel packages in PyPI
Description
Between July 2025 and present, threat actors suspected to be OceanLotus distributed malicious wheel packages through PyPI targeting both Windows and Linux platforms. Three fake libraries (uuid32-utils, colorinal, and termncolor) were created to imitate legitimate packages, implementing a sophisticated supply chain attack. The packages deployed droppers that delivered ZiChatBot, a previously unknown malware family using Zulip's REST APIs as command and control infrastructure instead of traditional C2 servers. The malware supports executing shellcode commands and establishes persistence through registry keys on Windows or crontab on Linux. Attribution to OceanLotus is based on 64% similarity with known droppers analyzed by KTAE system. The malicious packages were swiftly removed from PyPI following discovery.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
OceanLotus threat actors conducted a supply chain attack by uploading three malicious wheel packages (uuid32-utils, colorinal, termncolor) to PyPI, targeting both Windows and Linux platforms. These packages deployed droppers that installed ZiChatBot, a novel malware family leveraging Zulip REST APIs for command and control. The malware enables execution of shellcode commands and persistence through Windows registry keys or Linux crontab entries. Attribution to OceanLotus is supported by a 64% similarity score with known droppers analyzed by the KTAE system. The malicious packages were removed from PyPI following discovery. No patch or vendor advisory is available, and the threat is assessed as medium severity.
Potential Impact
The supply chain attack allowed OceanLotus to distribute malware via trusted Python package repositories, potentially compromising systems that installed the malicious packages. ZiChatBot malware can execute arbitrary shellcode and maintain persistence, posing risks of unauthorized system control. The use of Zulip REST APIs for command and control represents a novel evasion technique. However, the malicious packages were removed from PyPI promptly, and no known exploits in the wild have been reported to date.
Mitigation Recommendations
The malicious packages have been removed from PyPI. Users should verify the integrity and authenticity of Python packages before installation, preferably using trusted sources and package signing where available. There is no official patch or remediation guidance from vendors. Monitoring for unusual registry or crontab modifications and network traffic to Zulip APIs may help detect infections. Patch status is not yet confirmed — check PyPI and vendor advisories for updates.
Technical Details
- Author
- AlienVault
- Tlp
- white
- References
- ["https://securelist.com/oceanlotus-suspected-pypi-zichatbot-campaign/119603/"]
- Adversary
- APT32
- Pulse Id
- 69fb57e61f46ab512bd87fc1
- Threat Score
- null
Indicators of Compromise
Hash
| Value | Description | Copy |
|---|---|---|
hashba2f1868f2af9e191ebf47a5fab5cbab | — | |
hash1995682d600e329b7833003a01609252 | — | |
hash5152410aeef667ffaf42d40746af4d84 | — | |
hash38b75af6cbdb60127decd59140d10640 | — | |
hash1c0a5b35c003ac3182c589c6e014a42678a0647f | — | |
hash8a4a444761ca8836e6022af4a0e86a2be031aaa6 | — | |
hash08a75a092e9793b6d3eb473c246d3c5e4750cd525342276d8bf1ab7d1fe45112 | — | |
hashd05d6b08078b3d153ab821cd4dd6b5f5bd390c007c6d01653f459c35b917b80c | — | |
hashccc71ba929add58ad89dff289295659b69ad43a5 | — | |
hash437a824e63975a350108e20881020ad288fb6343d4f61fff7d64811270219dea | — | |
hash02f4701559fc40067e69bb426776a54f | — | |
hash0a5a06fa2e74a57fd5ed8e85f04a483a | — | |
hash22538214a3c917ff3b13a9e2035ca521 | — | |
hash454b85dc32dc8023cd2be04e4501f16a | — | |
hash48be833b0b0ca1ad3cf99c66dc89c3f4 | — | |
hash5598baa59c716590d8841c6312d8349e | — | |
hash652f4da6c467838957de19eed40d39da | — | |
hash968782b4feb4236858e3253f77ecf4b0 | — | |
hasha26019b68ef060e593b8651262cbd0f6 | — | |
hashb55b6e364be44f27e3fecdce5ad69eca | — | |
hashc33782c94c29dd268a42cbe03542bca5 | — | |
hashe200f2f6a2120286f9056743bc94a49d | — | |
hashe4a0ad38fd18a0e11199d1c52751908b | — | |
hashfce65c540d8186d9506e2f84c38a57c4 | — | |
hash05391e972db01ed9d55b202b9ae3feec700eabf5 | — | |
hash06adabcb962b5cf5d9fb63542518a5b80b5a9ad4 | — | |
hash67b2e7eb4255f6b990f1bd9917ea54228af2c6a1 | — | |
hash6a8d20cf325b766e69f6133b3a7325034b76948c | — | |
hash93708b635f11f182d5541274d0ac7b7d5baf3795 | — | |
hashc7a2684ec7dc6484655e8dfe5b184341c416a3e0 | — | |
hash2b5225816089467aacdcd201a44989a2f78491c29f6fad41b52731bfefc1b886 | — | |
hash50d2fb75ef2bb56915e28595574663d8a1e0193e335e3e4f0ad2c0a4770fd787 | — | |
hash68dfa75e916f4fb44a071851965493a324d331e37b791e21c45feba54aec23d8 | — | |
hashbe19d98b5449a052c03b189d9687543d619c8c1893f12709ef6bef6ff7657510 | — | |
hashc7e93e50f1f241e63e738925e4f8c7f8ee004506723c2b49ed0789100f4ce4ba | — | |
hashf85f44ebdd341f22f0cbd408ee40f162d697fc48c3824c897b61980fa38a4d92 | — |
Domain
| Value | Description | Copy |
|---|---|---|
domainhelper.zulipchat.com | — |
Threat ID: 69fc528acbff5d8610c7337c
Added to database: 05/07/2026, 08:51:22 UTC
Last enriched: 05/07/2026, 09:06:23 UTC
Last updated: 07/21/2026, 12:37:41 UTC
Views: 277
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