qowa (PyPI): malicious package disguised as utility provides C2 server/agent with file exfiltration via Telegram bot
Severity: critical · Patch status: no-fix-needed · Since 2026-10-23
OpenSSF and the GitHub Advisory Database flagged the PyPI package qowa (version 0.1.0) as malicious, published 2026-10-23 under campaign 2026-10-qowa. The package, disguised as a generic utility, embeds a C2 server and agent with pre-filled credentials. It can execute remote commands on victims' machines, exfiltrate files, and uses a Telegram bot as its command channel; it is classified as a RAT with spyware-like behaviour and Android-targeting code (CWE-506, Embedded Malicious Code). No patched versions exist; the package is malware and has been removed from distribution. Anyone who installed qowa 0.1.0 should treat the host as compromised.
What to do
- Remove qowa 0.1.0 from all environments and rebuild affected systems from clean images
- Audit machines where it ran for exfiltrated files, Telegram-based C2 traffic, and persistence; rotate credentials stored on those hosts
- Check dependency lockfiles, CI caches, and internal mirrors for qowa and block/reject the package name
- Review proxy/firewall logs for Telegram API access from build or developer hosts around installation time
Sources
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