Critical Malicious Code Vulnerability in pafer Package
Summary
MAL-2026-17756: Malicious code in pafer (PyPI). Affects pafer versions 0.9.7 – 0.9.8. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
Check if this vulnerability affects your application
Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.
No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds
Background
The pafer package, available on PyPI, is designed to facilitate various functionalities within Python applications. However, it has been found to contain malicious code that poses significant security risks. This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on the victim's machine, leading to potential data breaches and unauthorized access.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability originates from a malicious campaign involving the pafer package, which contains embedded pickle files disguised as configuration files. When these files are unpickled, they execute malicious code that establishes persistence on the victim's system through a PTH file. This code can download additional payloads and function as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT), enabling remote exfiltration of data and execution of commands. The affected versions of pafer are 0.9.7 and 0.9.8, which are linked to the campaign identified as 2026-10-webreader.
How To Fix
This package is malicious. Remove it and rotate any credentials it could have accessed.
pip uninstall paferIf it arrived as a transitive dependency, remove the package that pulled it in, then reinstall.
Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →
Workaround
As a temporary workaround, you can remove the pafer package from your environment until a secure version is available. Use the command: 'pip uninstall pafer' to remove it from your project.
Conclusion
The pafer package has a critical vulnerability that allows malicious code execution, posing significant security risks. Users are advised to update to a patched version or uninstall the package until a secure version is available. Regular monitoring for vulnerabilities using tools like Vulert can help maintain application security.
See every vulnerability recorded for pafer →
FAQ
The vulnerability involves malicious code execution through unpickling of embedded pickle files, allowing attackers to gain unauthorized access to systems.
You can use Vulert's playground at Vulert Scanner to check if your application is affected by this vulnerability without needing to sign up.
The risks include unauthorized access to sensitive data, remote code execution, and potential system compromise.
Yes, the vulnerable versions of pafer are 0.9.7 and 0.9.8.
If you cannot update the package, it is recommended to uninstall it temporarily to mitigate the risk of exploitation.
