# MAL-2026-15829: Malicious code in telemetry-helper (PyPI)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `telemetry-helper` (PyPI)
- **Published:** 3 Sep 2026

## What is MAL-2026-15829?

MAL-2026-15829 is a malicious package in telemetry-helper, published on 3 Sep 2026. 

### Official description

On `import telemetry_helper`, top-level code starts a daemon thread that sleeps 30 seconds and then POSTs a JSON payload containing the hostname, username, current working directory, and the entire process environment (`dict(os.environ)`) to a hardcoded webhook.site inbox at https://webhook.site/e32d3b8a-a5df-40cc-ae60-7a8343b581e4. `os.environ` on developer and CI hosts routinely contains credential-grade variables (AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID / AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, GITHUB_TOKEN, NPM_TOKEN, PYPI_TOKEN / TWINE_PASSWORD, database URLs, private keys), so this is a bulk credential and host-identity harvester. The destination is an anonymous third-party webhook inbox unrelated to any declared publisher, and the 30-second delay before the POST is consistent with evasion of short-lived install/import sandboxes. The behavior fires unconditionally at import with no opt-out and no relation to any advertised functionality.

In this campaign, one package contains malicious code exfiltrating environment variables during import (telemetry-helper), and another one intentionally installs it as a dependency.

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

Campaign: 2026-09-telemetry-helper

Reasons (based on the campaign):

 - exfiltration-env-variables

 - The malicious code is intentionally included in a dependency of the package

## What should I do about MAL-2026-15829?

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-2026-15829 is a malicious package: telemetry-helper (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-2026-15829/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-15829/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-15829

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-15829/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.