MAL-2026-3252 Malicious code in gauth-client (PyPI)
Malicious package
Published
MAL-2026-3252 is a malicious package: gauth-client (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-2026-3252/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-3252/index.md)
- Package
- gauth-client
- Registry
- PyPI
What is MAL-2026-3252?
MAL-2026-3252 is a malicious package in gauth-client, published on 3 May 2026.
Official description
Package impersonates Google and attempts to exfiltrate various credential files. It also setups PTH file for automated start during Python initialization. In the analyzed version, the exfiltration target was set as localhost suggesting it's not the final code.
Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers.
Campaign: 2026-05-gauth-client
Reasons (based on the campaign):
exfiltration-credentials
impersonation
files-exfiltration
What should I do about MAL-2026-3252?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.