Malicious Code Injection in celium-collateral-upgrade Package
Summary
MAL-2026-52: Malicious code in celium-collateral-upgrade (PyPI). Affects celium-collateral-upgrade versions 1.1.7. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The celium-collateral-upgrade package is a Python library available on PyPI, designed to facilitate certain functionalities within Python applications. However, it has been identified as part of a typosquatting and dependency confusion campaign, which poses significant security risks to users. The package mimics a legitimate library but embeds malicious code that can compromise system integrity.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from a malicious campaign that targets users through typosquatting. The celium-collateral-upgrade package was found to clone a legitimate library and was designed to inject malicious code upon update. This code downloads a remote executable that acts as an infostealer and backdoor, attributed to cybercrime activities. The malicious script ensures persistence by creating automatically started service entries, which can lead to unauthorized access and data theft.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
pip uninstall celium-collateral-upgradeIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
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Workaround
As a temporary measure, users can avoid using the celium-collateral-upgrade package until a patch is confirmed. Additionally, consider using alternative libraries that provide similar functionalities without the associated risks.
Conclusion
The celium-collateral-upgrade package poses significant security risks due to its malicious code injection. Users are advised to update or uninstall the package and monitor their applications for any signs of compromise. Utilizing tools like Vulert can help in identifying vulnerabilities in real-time.
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FAQ
Typosquatting is a malicious practice where attackers create packages with names similar to legitimate ones, hoping users will mistakenly install them.
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Using this package can lead to unauthorized access, data theft, and potential system compromise due to the embedded malicious code.
If you have installed the celium-collateral-upgrade package, immediately uninstall it using pip uninstall celium-collateral-upgrade and check for any signs of compromise in your system.
Always verify the authenticity of packages before installation, use trusted sources, and regularly monitor your dependencies for vulnerabilities.
