env-validator-toolPyPI
env-validator-tool is a confirmed malicious PyPI package (MAL-2026-15828) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.
Malicious code in env-validator-tool (PyPI)
What this malware does
The package ships no source module (only egg-info metadata) despite declaring a console_script entrypoint 'env-validator=env_validator.cli:main' that references a non-existent env_validator/ directory. Its setup.py install_requires declares 'telemetry-helper' — an unpinned, generically-named PyPI dependency — with an inline author comment reading 'Legitimate dependency with payload'. Because the package itself contains no code, the sole effect of pip install env-validator-tool is resolving and installing whatever code is published under the 'telemetry-helper' name, which then executes on the installer's machine during install. The self-labeled 'payload' comment combined with the missing implementation, unpinned generic dependency name, and stub entrypoint indicates the package is a lure whose only purpose is to pull in the sibling drop package.
In this campaign, one package contains malicious code exfiltrating environment variables during import (telemetry-helper), and another one intentionally installs it as a dependency.
Category: MALICIOUS - The campaign has clearly malicious intent, like infostealers.
Campaign: 2026-09-telemetry-helper
Reasons (based on the campaign):
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exfiltration-env-variables
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The malicious code is intentionally included in a dependency of the package
Malicious versions
Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)
Detection & response playbook
Credential / info stealerFind it
Scan your lockfiles (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, yarn.lock, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, etc.) and build artifacts for env-validator-tool (3 malicious versions). O3 Security's supply-chain scanner checks every dependency against known-malicious package intelligence at install time and in CI, flagging env-validator-tool across your stack and pipelines.
If you installed it — respond
env-validator-tool 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 env-validator-tool 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 env-validator-tool 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
Campaign
References
Credits
- Amazon Inspector · finder
- Kamil Mańkowski (kam193) · reporter
Detect & block this
O3 blocks env-validator-tool-class packages before install and in CI — and if it already ran, its runtime egress monitoring catches the credential exfiltration and severs the channel.