MAL-2024-12270

See a problem?
Import Source
https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/pypi/fake-usreagant/MAL-2024-12270.json
JSON Data
https://api.osv.dev/v1/vulns/MAL-2024-12270
Published
2024-10-08T10:29:47Z
Modified
2025-12-12T20:37:39.907233Z
Summary
Malicious code in fake-usreagant (PyPI)
Details

-= Per source details. Do not edit below this line.=-

Source: kam193 (ef713dc551a4b2eb9b0c94b270f4c214aa90e688076e15bb263b3bb5f3b8484b)

Package imitates the legitimate fake-useragent, however it has a few suspicious additions: fake.py L149 calls a function from 'urllib2' module, which contains a code attempting to JSON-deserialize encoded code. This is a pickle executing os.system(id), which of course isn't executed by json.loads, but would be by pickle. Also: action is suspicious, not really malicious, but the package is a clear typosquatting attempt.

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: 2024-10-old-fake-usreagant

Reasons (based on the campaign):

  • action-hidden-in-lib-usage

  • clones-real-package

  • typosquatting

  • dependency-confusion

Database specific 
{
    "malicious-packages-origins": [
        {
            "source": "kam193",
            "modified_time": "2024-10-08T10:29:47Z",
            "sha256": "de00b37f49e2ff19849cb3269e70e2ad85aefca4a3a84f75aa1ad1bffec9cf3d",
            "id": "pypi/2024-10-old-fake-usreagant/fake-usreagant",
            "ranges": [
                {
                    "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
                    "events": [
                        {
                            "introduced": "0"
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ],
            "import_time": "2025-12-02T22:30:56.02420032Z"
        },
        {
            "source": "kam193",
            "modified_time": "2024-10-08T10:29:47Z",
            "sha256": "ef713dc551a4b2eb9b0c94b270f4c214aa90e688076e15bb263b3bb5f3b8484b",
            "id": "pypi/2024-10-old-fake-usreagant/fake-usreagant",
            "ranges": [
                {
                    "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
                    "events": [
                        {
                            "introduced": "0"
                        }
                    ]
                }
            ],
            "import_time": "2025-12-02T23:07:19.222983563Z"
        },
        {
            "versions": [
                "0.0.3"
            ],
            "modified_time": "2024-10-08T10:29:47Z",
            "sha256": "5d26cc05453bac24155479cf8ef3bd0bff5a647bdfec50efdec5e27e634361a1",
            "id": "pypi/2024-10-old-fake-usreagant/fake-usreagant",
            "source": "kam193",
            "import_time": "2025-12-10T21:38:58.364758916Z"
        }
    ]
}
References
Credits

Affected packages

PyPI / fake-usreagant

Package

Name
fake-usreagant
View open source insights on deps.dev
Purl
pkg:pypi/fake-usreagant

Affected ranges

Affected versions

0.*
0.0.3

Database specific

source 
"https://github.com/ossf/malicious-packages/blob/main/osv/malicious/pypi/fake-usreagant/MAL-2024-12270.json"