Home Cyber Security News PyPI Implements Project Archival to Block Exploits Malicious Package

PyPI Implements Project Archival to Block Exploits Malicious Package

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PyPI

In a significant move to enhance transparency and bolster supply-chain security, the Python Package Index (PyPI) has announced support for project archival.

This new feature allows project maintainers to mark projects as archived, signaling to users that the project will no longer receive updates, including bug fixes or security patches.

The inclusion of this capability provides developers and organizations with clearer insights into the status of packages, enabling more informed decisions about dependencies.

Implications for the Python Ecosystem

While archiving a project indicates that it is no longer actively maintained, it is crucial to note that this is not equivalent to deletion.

Archived projects will remain available on PyPI, allowing users to continue installing them.

Instead, the archival status serves as a warning that users should not expect future updates or fixes.

This is particularly beneficial for supply-chain security, reducing the potential risks of relying on outdated or abandoned software.

The archival feature is built on the existing project quarantine functionality introduced in December 2024.

It does not automatically impose restrictions on users but offers project owners a voluntary, user-controlled mechanism to communicate the lifecycle stage of their software.

For more technical details, maintainers and developers can refer to the Trail of Bits blog, which provides additional insights into the implementation of this feature.

How to Archive a Project

Project owners can access this feature through their project’s settings page on PyPI.

By navigating to the archival section near the bottom of the settings page, maintainers can archive their project with a few clicks.

Archiving a project also prevents further uploads, ensuring that no new releases are mistakenly pushed to outdated software.

Once archived, a prominent notice will appear on the project’s PyPI page, informing users of its status.

Maintainers are encouraged to make a final release and update the project’s description with context about the decision to archive.

Should the need arise, archived projects can be unarchived, giving maintainers flexibility in managing their repositories.

This introduction marks the first step in PyPI’s broader initiative to improve project lifecycle management.

Future updates may include additional statuses such as “deprecated” or “unmaintained,” alongside changes to PyPI’s public APIs to enable automated retrieval of project status information.

These developments are currently being tracked under the warehouse#16844 issue.

This feature’s development was led by Trail of Bits, in collaboration with PyPI administrators Mike Fiedler and Dustin Ingram.

Financial support was provided by Alpha-Omega, whose mission is to enhance security across critical open-source software ecosystems.

As PyPI continues to evolve, this update represents a significant step forward in ensuring the safety, transparency, and sustainability of Python’s package ecosystem.

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