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Counterfeit packages downloaded roughly 5,000 times from the official Python repository contained secret code that installed cryptomining software on infected machines, a security researcher has found.
The malicious packages, which were available on the PyPI repository, in many cases used names that mimicked those of legitimate and often widely used packages already available there, Ax Sharma, a researcher at security firm Sonatype reported. So-called typosquatting attacks succeed when targets accidentally mistype a name such as typing “mplatlib” or “maratlib” instead of the legitimate and popular package matplotlib.
Sharma said he found six packages that installed cryptomining software that would use the resources of infected computers to mine cryptocurrency and deposit it in the attacker’s wallet. All six were published by someone using the PyPI username nedog123, in some cases as early as April. The packages and download numbers are:
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