Which versions of free-net-vpn are malicious?

Every published version of free-net-vpn on PyPI is considered malicious. Remove the package entirely.

How do I remediate free-net-vpn if I installed it?

free-net-vpn 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 free-net-vpn — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If free-net-vpn 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.

Is free-net-vpn part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — free-net-vpn is associated with the GHSA-jgw6-3fjm-w5f6 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 free-net-vpn across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for free-net-vpn (all published versions).

Malicious package

free-net-vpnPyPI

free-net-vpn is a confirmed malicious PyPI package (MAL-2022-7423) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data. Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in free-net-vpn (PyPI)

MAL-2022-7423

Immediate action

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

pip uninstall free-net-vpn

What this malware does

Security researchers at Check Point Research discovered a malicious package called free-net-vpn that targets environment variables. PyPI has since removed free-net-vpn.

Malicious versions

all versions

Every published version of this package is considered malicious — remove it entirely.

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

a7c578ebbd5b9dea94fedafe257ab0b885731b9f32789b9d9a2708193ef03995

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for free-net-vpn (all published versions).
If you installed it — respond
free-net-vpn 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 free-net-vpn 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

No. free-net-vpn on PyPI has been identified as a malicious package (all published versions flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

GHSA-jgw6-3fjm-w5f6

References

Detect & block this

O3 blocks free-net-vpn-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

Explore

All malware advisories How O3 detects malware Vulnerability database