# MAL-2026-5489: Malicious code in bittensor-emission-tracker (PyPI)


- **Type:** Malicious package
- **Package:** `bittensor-emission-tracker` (PyPI)
- **Published:** 9 Jun 2026

## What is MAL-2026-5489?

MAL-2026-5489 is a malicious package in bittensor-emission-tracker, published on 9 Jun 2026. 

### Official description

The package advertises Bittensor subnet burn-rate monitoring but ships a Cython-compiled darwin.so (core.cpython-310-darwin.so) containing an undocumented clipboard-monitoring daemon. Strings in the binary reveal functions `_normalize_clipboard_text`, `_clipboard_fingerprint`, `_valid_clipboard_text`, and docstrings 'Start clipboard daemon if not running', 'Exclusive lock so only one _run daemon polls clipboard', 'Send Telegram for a phrase. Skips if already sent.', and 'Atomically claim text (SQLite). Returns False if already sent.' — a polling clipboard scraper that deduplicates captured phrases via SQLite and ships each new one to Telegram. The bundled `bittensor_emission_tracker/defaults.env` hardcodes `TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=8666228137:AAF_NLMrow4cDf3uEJCl3JY7DeBHtovd1TU` and `TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=8766781014` as the default exfiltration sink for every installer who does not manually override via `install --telegram_token`. The package's `install` subcommand registers cross-platform autostart (Windows Task Scheduler with battery/time-limit overrides, Linux systemd user service, macOS LaunchAgent) so the daemon persists across reboots and logins. Distribution as a darwin-only compiled.so with no.pyx source in the wheel conceals the clipboard code path from casual inspection while the README only documents burn-rate alerts. Installing or running this package causes long-term, reboot-persistent exfiltration of any sensitive text the user copies (passwords, seed phrases, API keys, private messages) to the author's Telegram channel.

The package contains code to steal clipboard content to a predefined remote location. If run in the right way, the code will periodically check the clipboard and if the content matches the pattern, exfiltrates it. The targeted data are likely cryptocurrency secret seed phrases.

---

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

Campaign: 2026-06-clip-logger

Reasons (based on the campaign):

 - clipboard-stealing

 - crypto-related

## What should I do about MAL-2026-5489?

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-2026-5489 is a malicious package: bittensor-emission-tracker (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-2026-5489/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-5489/index.md)
```

## Sources

- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-5489

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-5489/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.