# MAL-2026-5768: Malicious code in bash8 (PyPI) - **Type:** Malicious package - **Package:** `bash8` (PyPI) - **Published:** 14 Jun 2026 ## What is MAL-2026-5768? MAL-2026-5768 is a malicious package in bash8, published on 14 Jun 2026. ### Official description Package is published as 'bash8' (matching an existing PyPI bash linter) but installs a top-level module named 'ca_certificates' whose only content is a stub `__version__ = "0.0.0"` and an `info()` function returning the string 'This is a dummy bash8 package for PyPI.' Author metadata is the placeholder 'Your Name '. The package contains no install hooks, no network I/O, no subprocess execution, and no credential reads — it is functionally inert. The installable module name 'ca_certificates' would shadow imports of that identifier in any environment where this package is installed, and the distribution name collides with an existing linter. Name confusion alone, without an installer-harm payload, is a subjective signal best resolved by a human reviewer. Installing the package or importing the module exfiltrates basic information about the host, and the package has no other purpose. --- 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: GENERIC-standard-pypi-install-pentest Reasons (based on the campaign): - The package contains code to exfiltrate basic data from the system, like IP or username. It has a limited risk. - The package overrides the install command in setup.py to execute malicious code during installation. ## What should I do about MAL-2026-5768? 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-2026-5768 is a malicious package: bash8 (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-2026-5768/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-5768/index.md) ``` ## Sources - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/MAL-2026-5768 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/MAL-2026-5768/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.