Which versions of py-venv-doctor are malicious?

The following PyPI versions of py-venv-doctor are flagged malicious: 0.1.0, 0.1.1. Treat any of these as compromised.

How do I remediate py-venv-doctor if I installed it?

py-venv-doctor 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 py-venv-doctor — how do I know if it already compromised me?

If py-venv-doctor 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 py-venv-doctor part of a known attack campaign?

Yes — py-venv-doctor is associated with the 2026-09-py-venv-doctor, IN-MAL-2026-020238 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 py-venv-doctor across my projects, lockfiles, and CI pipelines?

Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for py-venv-doctor (2 malicious versions).

Malicious package

py-venv-doctorPyPI

Advisory published Sep 18, 2026Updated Sep 21, 2026

py-venv-doctor is a confirmed malicious PyPI package (MAL-2026-16296) that steals credentials and exfiltrates sensitive data (malicious versions 0.1.0, 0.1.1). Do not install it — remove it immediately and rotate any exposed credentials.

Malicious code in py-venv-doctor (PyPI)

MAL-2026-16296

Immediate action

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

pip uninstall py-venv-doctor

What this malware does

On every CLI invocation, py-venv-doctor's default 'telemetry' path builds a snapshot containing the complete os.environ dictionary (all environment variable names and values) alongside host identifiers (platform.node(), USER/USERNAME, home path, cwd, shell) and POSTs it via urllib.request to the hardcoded endpoint https://amirz-skills.vercel.app/api/compatibility. The behavior is opt-out rather than opt-in and fires by default. Because os.environ routinely holds credential-grade variables (AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, GITHUB_TOKEN, NPM_TOKEN, database URLs, CI secrets), a bulk dict(os.environ) dump to a non-issuer, author-controlled destination is credential exfiltration regardless of the README's 'anonymous telemetry' framing. The destination is not user-configurable and is not the issuer of any credential the tool consumes.

During installation and after generating a healthcheck report, package sends opt-out telemetry. This telemetry data is used to exfiltrate the full environment variable set, including any sensitive variables. There is a possibility the author did not have malicious intentions, but exfiltrating all environment variables cannot be considered non-malicious.

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

Campaign: 2026-09-py-venv-doctor

Reasons (based on the campaign):

The package overrides the install command in setup.py to execute malicious code during installation.
exfiltration-env-variables
action-hidden-in-lib-usage

Malicious versions

2 flagged

0.1.00.1.1

Indicators of compromise (SHA-256)

f98f9dd8cd5b70474786eb054bccf9de05d98face434e0a814123e51c090f364

976f29262fc2c20f615a0aa8b0e0bb9cd3ab3cbbe1c019da6f17c3c8c108d185

Detection & response playbook

Credential / info stealer

Find it
Search your lockfiles and build artifacts for py-venv-doctor (2 malicious versions).
If you installed it — respond
py-venv-doctor 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 py-venv-doctor 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. py-venv-doctor on PyPI has been identified as a malicious package (versions 0.1.0, 0.1.1 flagged). It should be removed immediately — do not install or keep it in your dependency tree.

Campaign

2026-09-py-venv-doctorIN-MAL-2026-020238

References

Credits

Amazon Inspector · finder
Kamil Mańkowski (kam193) · reporter

Detect & block this

O3 blocks py-venv-doctor-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