# MAL-2026-18110: Malicious code in facewareretargeter (PyPI)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `facewareretargeter` (PyPI)
- **Published:** 20 Oct 2026

## What is MAL-2026-18110?

MAL-2026-18110 is a malicious package in facewareretargeter, published on 20 Oct 2026. 

### Official description

facewareretargeter 9.9.9 ships a 2-line stub module and a setup.py whose install_requires declares a single dependency, `tracer-batch-stream-chain`, sourced from a direct https URL (`https://artifacts.vacsdk.com/pypi/tracer_batch_stream_chain-9.9.9.tar.gz`) rather than a PyPI version range. On `pip install facewareretargeter`, pip fetches that tarball from the non-PyPI host and executes its setup.py / build backend on the installer's machine, with no version pin, no hash, and no integrity check. The host is not a known Python index and is unrelated to any declared repository or homepage, so whoever controls `artifacts.vacsdk.com` can deliver arbitrary code to every installer at any time. The package name resembles a plausible internal/private tool and uses an implausibly high version (9.9.9), which is the dependency-confusion shape used to win resolution against an internal package.

The package uses fake http-downloaded dependencies to track downloads, and has no other purpose.

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Category: PROBABLY_PENTEST - Packages looking like typical pentest packages, but also anything that looks like testing, exploring pre-prepared kits, research & co, with clearly low-harm possibilities.

Campaign: 2026-10-vacsdk

Reasons (based on the campaign):

 - dependency-confusion

## What should I do about MAL-2026-18110?

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-2026-18110 is a malicious package: facewareretargeter (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-2026-18110/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-18110/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-18110

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-18110/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.