ctf-aio-toolPyPI
Advisory published Updated
ctf-aio-tool is a confirmed malicious PyPI package (MAL-2025-2952) that opens a backdoor for remote access (malicious version 0.1). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in ctf-aio-tool (PyPI)
What this malware does
Installing the package starts a reverse shell. The remote server is, however, set as a local IP, so it's most probably testing
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: 2025-03-marinff
Reasons (based on the campaign):
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The package overrides the install command in setup.py to execute malicious code during installation.
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obfuscation
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The package contains code to create a reverse shell, allowing an attacker to execute any commands on the victim's machine.
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Backdoor / remote accessFind it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for ctf-aio-tool (version 0.1).
If you installed it — respond
ctf-aio-tool establishes remote access, so treat any host that installed it as fully compromised. Isolate the machine, remove the package, rotate all credentials it could reach, and rebuild from a trusted image rather than cleaning in place — a backdoor may have planted additional persistence.
Did it already run?
If ctf-aio-tool was installed, its post-install payload may already have run. Removing the package does not undo that — check outbound connections and credential use from the install window onward.
Frequently asked questions
Campaign
References
Credits
- Kamil Mańkowski (kam193)
- ReversingLabs · finder
Detect & block this
O3 blocks ctf-aio-tool-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the C2 callback and severs the channel.