Pykspa
Overview
Pykspa is a worm that spreads through Skype by sending messages containing download links to other Skype users. When a recipient downloads and runs the file, Pykspa infects the system, extracts personal information, and communicates with its command-and-control (C2) servers. To make its C2 infrastructure resilient, Pykspa uses a domain generation algorithm (DGA) to produce the domain names it contacts. It is documented by Fraunhofer FKIE's Malpedia, with analysis referenced from Akamai.
Generated Detections (Boilerplate)
These YARA and Sigma rules are auto-generated based on the family name and aliases. They must be heavily tuned before deployment in a production environment.
YARA Rule
rule MALWARE_WIN_PYKSPA {
meta:
description = "Detects Pykspa (worm)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Boilerplate Generator"
date = "2026-07-06"
strings:
$s1 = "pykspa" ascii wide nocase
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}Sigma Rule
title: Suspicious Pykspa Activity
id: 8999f0cfe8977b7b21f5c29c1b656209
status: experimental
description: Detects generic indicators of the pykspa malware family.
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith:
- '\cmd.exe'
- '\powershell.exe'
CommandLine|contains:
- "*pykspa*"
condition: selection
level: mediumReferences & External Analysis
- Malpedia (Fraunhofer FKIE): Pykspa
- Search "pykspa" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pykspa?
Pykspa is a worm that spreads through Skype. It sends messages with download links to other Skype users, and infects systems when those files are downloaded and run.
How does Pykspa spread?
Pykspa propagates by sending Skype messages containing download links to a victim's contacts. Recipients who download and execute the linked file become infected, allowing the worm to spread further.
What does Pykspa do once it infects a system?
After infection, Pykspa extracts personal information and communicates with command-and-control servers. It uses a domain generation algorithm (DGA) to generate the domains it contacts, which helps its infrastructure resist takedown.
What sources document Pykspa?
Pykspa is profiled in Fraunhofer FKIE's Malpedia, with its Skype-based spreading and DGA behaviour described in analysis referenced from Akamai.
How do I remove the Pykspa Worm from Windows?
Manual removal of Pykspa is highly discouraged as it may leave persistence mechanisms intact. We recommend disconnecting the device from the internet and utilizing a professional incident response service or enterprise-grade EDR software to conduct a full forensic sweep.
Is Pykspa a virus or a Worm?
Pykspa is classified as a Worm. Unlike traditional viruses that infect files, modern malware like Pykspa typically operates as a standalone payload designed to compromise systems, steal data, or deploy secondary stage implants.
What are the main symptoms of a Pykspa infection?
Symptoms of Pykspa can include unexpected system slowness, unauthorized outbound network traffic to unknown IP addresses, disabled security software, and suspicious background processes running from AppData or Temp directories.
Related Families (Category: worm)
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Protect Your Network Against Worms
Want to prevent Pykspa and similar threats from compromising your organization? Read our comprehensive defensive guide: Worm & Virus Protection.
Machine-readable
Get this profile as JSON: https://jordan123234-malware-families-explorer.static.hf.space/api/pykspa.json
Ecosystem & Interactive Environments
This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families. The catalog is also published across our ecosystem: Hugging Face, Kaggle, Zenodo, Replit, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, and CodePen.