Legacy Python bootstrap scripts enable PyPI takeover risk
🔍 ReversingLabs discovered legacy bootstrap code in Python packages that fetches and executes an installer from the unclaimed domain python-distribute.org. The zc.buildout bootstrap.py pulls distribute_setup.py, and because the domain is for sale an attacker could acquire it and serve malicious payloads. Packages including tornado and slapos.core still contain the script; it targets Python 2 and is not executed automatically during installation, but its presence increases the supply-chain attack surface if developers run it.
