# MAL-2026-13757: Malicious code in telebot-pro (PyPI)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `telebot-pro` (PyPI)
- **Published:** 11 Aug 2026

## What is MAL-2026-13757?

MAL-2026-13757 is a malicious package in telebot-pro, published on 11 Aug 2026. 

### Official description

On instantiation of TeleBot(), the package spawns a background thread that copies the Telegram Desktop tdata directory from %APPDATA%\Telegram Desktop\tdata and decrypts the local key via win32crypt.CryptUnprotectData, base64-encoding the result. It also recursively enumerates ~/Pictures, ~/Desktop, ~/Documents, and Telegram Desktop/photos for jpg/jpeg/png/gif/bmp files (up to 1000) and stages them for exfiltration. Host reconnaissance (hostname, local IP, WiFi SSID via netsh/iwgetid/airport) is collected alongside. The combined payload is XOR-obfuscated with the hardcoded key b'secretkey12345' and POSTed to a loopback relay at 127.0.0.1:48765/submit, which forwards to https://api.telegram.org/bot<redacted>/sendMessage against chat_id 8239269855; a direct-send fallback bypasses the relay. The tarball also starts an HTTPServer on 127.0.0.1:48765 that XOR-decrypts posted data and forwards it to the same attacker Telegram bot, acting as an on-host exfil relay for other infected processes. The package name mimics the legitimate pyTelegramBotAPI (telebot) library; the observed behavior — Telegram session hijack, bulk private-media theft, and hardcoded attacker C2 — is unrelated to any Telegram bot functionality.

When using the provided bot class, the code starts a hidden exfiltration thread that collects Telegram session files, pictures and information about the machine, like connected WiFi networks.

---

Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers.

Campaign: 2026-08-telebot-pro

Reasons (based on the campaign):

 - uses-telegram-bot

 - action-hidden-in-lib-usage

 - files-exfiltration

 - target:telegram

## What should I do about MAL-2026-13757?

Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
MAL-2026-13757 is a malicious package: telebot-pro (PyPI). Every version was published to cause harm.

Task:
1. Search this repository's dependency manifests and lockfiles for the package, including transitive dependencies.
2. If it is present, remove it, regenerate the lockfile with the project's package manager, and replace whatever it was used for.
3. List any CI runners, developer machines or containers that installed it, so their secrets can be rotated.
4. If the package is not used anywhere, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-13757/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-13757/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-13757

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-13757/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.