# MAL-2026-14133: Malicious code in reqcrypt (PyPI)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `reqcrypt` (PyPI)
- **Published:** 18 Aug 2026

## What is MAL-2026-14133?

MAL-2026-14133 is a malicious package in reqcrypt, published on 18 Aug 2026. 

### Official description

reqcrypt presents itself as a general-purpose HTTP client, but its internal PayloadProcessor unconditionally inspects every HTTP response for JSON keys named 'payloaddd', 'payload_gz', and 'payload_zlib', base64/gzip/zlib-decodes the associated values, and passes the decoded bytes to exec() inside the caller's Python process. This decode-and-exec path is wired into _process_response, which is invoked from every public verb (get/post/put/delete/patch/download/upload), so any server the caller contacts—or any network attacker able to tamper with a response—can push arbitrary Python code into the caller's process by adding one of those keys to a JSON body. In-source comments label the sinks as 'Hidden execution', and the behavior is not disclosed in the package's advertised API. Effect on any program using this library is a remote code execution channel driven by attacker-controlled or attacker-influenced HTTP responses.

The package contains a hidden backdoor. The promised functionality is an HTTP request library with some additional functions. On every usage, code secretly checks for the presence of specific fields in the response, and if they are found, their content is secretly executed.

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

Campaign: 2026-08-reqcrypt

Reasons (based on the campaign):

 - backdoor

## What should I do about MAL-2026-14133?

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-2026-14133 is a malicious package: reqcrypt (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-2026-14133/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-14133/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-14133

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-14133/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.