Axios

How to Audit All Python Virtual Environments for Compromised Packages Without Executing Python

The article describes a practical workflow for discovering whether any Python virtual environments contain known malicious package versions. The author maintains a registry of all .venv directories across local disks and external volumes using find commands and shell hooks. A Bash script then iterates through the registry and runs uv pip freeze against each environment to list installed dependencies without invoking the Python interpreter. This approach avoids risks highlighted by recent supply-chain attacks on packages such as LiteLLM, where even python -V or pip freeze could trigger malicious .pth files. The method also supports locating outdated packages, identifying usage of deprecated libraries, and searching project code for specific functions. Configuration settings like PIP_REQUIRE_VIRTUALENV=true and the uv tool further prevent accidental global installations.