MAL-2026-498 Malicious code in instascan-pro (PyPI)
Malicious package
Published
MAL-2026-498 is a malicious package: instascan-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-2026-498/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-498/index.md)
- Package
- instascan-pro
- Registry
- PyPI
What is MAL-2026-498?
MAL-2026-498 is a malicious package in instascan-pro, published on 24 Jan 2026.
Official description
The package contains a module prepared to collect and exfiltrate user's files.
Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers.
Campaign: 2026-01-instascan-pro
Reasons (based on the campaign):
exfiltration-generic
files-exfiltration
What should I do about MAL-2026-498?
Remove the package from your dependencies and lockfiles, then rotate any secrets on machines where it was installed.