Case deepseeek-pypi-packagesAI supply chainJan 29, 2025Worldwide

Fake 'deepseeek' and 'deepseekai' PyPI packages steal secrets from DeepSeek developers

Two PyPI packages posing as DeepSeek client libraries harvested user, host and environment-variable data to a Pipedream endpoint; they were pulled within an hour after a few hundred downloads.

MediumAttack on AIStatus: ResolvedVerified case file

Open in the interactive map Cite this case

Reported: Jan 29, 2025
Location: Worldwide
Target: Developers integrating the DeepSeek API
Severity: Medium
Triggered by: PyPI account 'bvk'
Actor type: Criminal
Reported loss: None reported
CVE: None

What happened

Two PyPI packages posing as DeepSeek client libraries harvested user, host and environment-variable data to a Pipedream endpoint; they were pulled within an hour after a few hundred downloads.

Impact: PT counted 36 downloads via pip and bandersnatch plus 186 via browsers and other tools before removal; any victim's environment variables and host details were sent to the attacker

Who triggered it

Actor: PyPI account 'bvk'

Attribution: Uploaded by the dormant PyPI account 'bvk' created in June 2023; PT ESC noted code comments suggesting the payload was written with an AI assistant. No further attribution.

Motive: Theft of API keys, cloud and database credentials stored in developer environment variables

How it happened

Attack vector: Typosquatted PyPI packages riding DeepSeek hype; payload ran when the deepseeek or deepseekai CLI commands were executed and exfiltrated via Pipedream

Root cause: Open package registry with no vetting of trending-name lookalikes; developers installing unofficial SDKs for a newly popular model

Timeline

Jan 29, 2025deepseeek 0.0.8 published at 15:52 UTC and deepseekai 0.0.8 at 16:13 UTC
Jan 29, 2025PT ESC detects the packages within minutes and alerts PyPI, which removes them
Feb 3, 2025PT ESC publishes analysis; press reports over 200 downloads, more than 100 from the United States

Response

PyPI administrators deleted both packages within about an hour of notification; PT ESC published indicators and advised victims to rotate exposed credentials

Current status: Resolved

Sources (open in a new tab)

Positive Technologies PT ESC global.ptsecurity.com
SecurityWeek securityweek.com
Help Net Security helpnetsecurity.com

Cite this case

Fake 'deepseeek' and 'deepseekai' PyPI packages steal secrets from DeepSeek developers. AI Threat Watch, case deepseeek-pypi-packages, Jan 29, 2025. https://aithreat.io/cases/deepseeek-pypi-packages/

Permanent link: https://aithreat.io/cases/deepseeek-pypi-packages/