What does the acloud-client malware do?

This campaign is built from two parts: 1) packages named like time-check-server, snapshot-photo contain an innocent-looking code that sends "date" to a remote server, 2) packages named like alicloud-client are clones of legit aliyun-python-sdk-core package, with a small change in the client.py code, where it imports the time-check-server and calls it, but instead of a date, the credentials to the cloud are exfiltrated. There are also variations with AWS clients Apparently, the campaign started at least 2 years ago with the snapshot-photo package containing the same functionality as the newer time-check-server (see https://github.com/pypi-data/pypi-mirror-238/blob/code/packages/snapshot-phot

Which versions of acloud-client are malicious?

The following PyPI versions of acloud-client are flagged malicious: 1.0.0, 1.0.1. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate acloud-client if I installed it?

acloud-client is built to steal secrets, so assume every credential the build or runtime could read is compromised. Remove it from your project and lockfile, then rotate ALL exposed secrets — npm/registry tokens, cloud keys, CI/CD secrets, SSH keys, and any .env values — from a known-clean machine. Audit logs for unauthorized use of those credentials.

I already installed acloud-client — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If acloud-client was ever installed, its post-install/runtime payload may have already executed. O3's L7 egress monitoring and runtime eBPF sensors detect the credential exfiltration or command-and-control callback after install and block the malicious outbound channel, so you catch and contain the actual compromise — not just the presence of the package.

Is acloud-client part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — acloud-client is associated with the RLMA-2025-01927, RLUA-2025-04742, 2025-02-alicloud-client, RLUA-2026-00035 campaign. Packages in the same campaign often share infrastructure and payloads, so check whether any related packages are also in your dependency tree.

How do I find acloud-client across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for acloud-client (2 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging acloud-client across your stack and pipelines.

Malicious package

acloud-clientPyPI

Malicious code in acloud-client (PyPI) Remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

MAL-2025-2929

Immediate action

Remove the package, then rotate any secrets the build/runtime could reach.

pip uninstall acloud-client

What this malware does

This campaign is built from two parts:

packages named like time-check-server, snapshot-photo contain an innocent-looking code that sends "date" to a remote server,
packages named like alicloud-client are clones of legit aliyun-python-sdk-core package, with a small change in the client.py code, where it imports the time-check-server and calls it, but instead of a date, the credentials to the cloud are exfiltrated. There are also variations with AWS clients

Apparently, the campaign started at least 2 years ago with the snapshot-photo package containing the same functionality as the newer time-check-server (see https://github.com/pypi-data/pypi-mirror-238/blob/code/packages/snapshot-photo/snapshot_photo-0.0.3-py3-none-any.whl/snapshot_photo/date_format.py).

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

Campaign: 2025-02-alicloud-client

Reasons (based on the campaign):

clones-real-package
action-hidden-in-lib-usage
The malicious code is intentionally included in a dependency of the package
exfiltration-cloud-tokens

Malicious versions

2 flagged

1.0.01.0.1

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

8afb489b46a4e95c11871dd065c618b98b6ff82565c0c1b7decb2a0835c125e4

a468d481d3efdbe0a84f9814bf6d236de3b81b2130c29d5ff2529d6bdb99136d

04172dc499bf944e284ffb4a9f4d39fd379030b2ecbf8eada5ba703de258c0c4

4900ca27e14ecb6f022a740bd420fa046084355344379dd21a2b59c53d1c95f1

e5991c849c24976979baaed6c5f337f0aaf2275d2cc990c5ad67490d51ac9b3c

295499a062b9795f707cc8c78d8420d6681fbc0094cba06c6c4eda699f547b4e

b0498db0770a9f74815d771fada1ee0daa954ddf6f18d0bb13b6402d257de61c

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for acloud-client (2 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging acloud-client across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
acloud-client is built to steal secrets, so assume every credential the build or runtime could read is compromised. Remove it from your project and lockfile, then rotate ALL exposed secrets — npm/registry tokens, cloud keys, CI/CD secrets, SSH keys, and any .env values — from a known-clean machine. Audit logs for unauthorized use of those credentials.
Did it already run?
If acloud-client was ever installed, its post-install/runtime payload may have already executed. O3's L7 egress monitoring and runtime eBPF sensors detect the credential exfiltration or command-and-control callback after install and block the malicious outbound channel, so you catch and contain the actual compromise — not just the presence of the package.
How O3 protects you
O3 blocks acloud-client before install through its supply-chain scanner, and if it has already run, detects and severs the exfiltration or C2 callback at runtime through L7 egress monitoring and eBPF.

Frequently asked questions

No. acloud-client on PyPI has been identified as a malicious package (versions 1.0.0, 1.0.1 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

RLMA-2025-01927RLUA-2025-047422025-02-alicloud-clientRLUA-2026-00035

References

Credits

Kamil Mańkowski (kam193)
ReversingLabs · finder

Detect & block this

O3 blocks acloud-client-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.

Malware detection Runtime egress monitoring