virustotal3
Python 3 implementation of the VirusTotal v3 API
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
No—the package is abandoned (last release August 2020, repository archived) and VirusTotal's v3 API is documented as beta with active development that may introduce breaking changes. The unclear license adds legal risk. Consider using an actively maintained alternative or calling the VirusTotal v3 API directly with a standard HTTP client.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires a valid VirusTotal API key set in the VT_API environment variable; the v3 API is in beta and subject to breaking changes.
- High install friction due to no runtime dependencies but abandoned maintenance status—last release was 2020-08-17 and the repository is archived.
- The v3 API is documented as beta and under active development by VirusTotal, meaning breaking changes may occur without corresponding library updates.
License · maintenance · safety
(unclear) — License treatment is unclear; no SPDX identifier or raw license text is available in the package metadata. Verify the actual license before use in proprietary or restricted contexts.
last release 2020-08-17 (2188 days) · last repo commit 2023-01-26 · 81 stars · archived
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 166,529 downloads/mo, #10,490 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import os
import virustotal3.enterprise
API_KEY = os.environ['VT_API']
livehunt = virustotal3.enterprise.Livehunt(API_KEY)
rulesets = livehunt.get_rulesets()
print(rulesets)- Whether the package still works reliably with the current VirusTotal v3 API given its abandoned status since 2020.
- Current compatibility with modern Python 3 versions (requires_python field is empty).
- Whether recent API changes mentioned in the description (URL.get_comments, URL.get_votes) have been addressed.
What it is and what it does
virustotal3 is a Python 3 client for VirusTotal's v3 REST API, designed to wrap the API endpoints and provide convenient methods for security analysis tasks. It exposes enterprise features like Live Hunt and Retro Hunt that were unavailable in the v2 API, and handles file uploads by automatically selecting the correct endpoint based on file size (including support for files larger than 32MB).
The library has no external runtime dependencies, making installation straightforward, but it is no longer maintained—the repository was archived after the last release in August 2020. Since VirusTotal's v3 API is documented as beta and under active development, the library may break if the API changes, and there is no maintainer to issue fixes.
Use it for
- Integrate malware and threat scanning into Python security workflows using VirusTotal's v3 endpoints.
- Automate file upload and analysis for large files (>32MB) that require a different API endpoint.
- Access enterprise-only features like Live Hunt and Retro Hunt for threat hunting and historical analysis.
- Build security monitoring tools that query VirusTotal for file and URL reputation data.
- Retrieve file relationships and metadata from VirusTotal's v3 API in a simplified, Pythonic interface.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
No—the package is abandoned (last release August 2020, repository archived) and VirusTotal's v3 API is documented as beta with active development that may introduce breaking changes.
The unclear license adds legal risk. Consider using an actively maintained alternative or calling the VirusTotal v3 API directly with a standard HTTP client.
Install
virustotal3 on PyPI
Before you install
High install friction due to no runtime dependencies but abandoned maintenance status—last release was 2020-08-17 and the repository is archived. The v3 API is documented as beta and under active development by VirusTotal, meaning breaking changes may occur without corresponding library updates.
Requires a valid VirusTotal API key set in the VT_API environment variable; the v3 API is in beta and subject to breaking changes.
License in practice
License treatment is unclear; no SPDX identifier or raw license text is available in the package metadata. Verify the actual license before use in proprietary or restricted contexts.
Quickstart
import os
import virustotal3.enterprise
API_KEY = os.environ['VT_API']
livehunt = virustotal3.enterprise.Livehunt(API_KEY)
rulesets = livehunt.get_rulesets()
print(rulesets)Verify before relying
- Whether the package still works reliably with the current VirusTotal v3 API given its abandoned status since 2020.
- Current compatibility with modern Python 3 versions (requires_python field is empty).
- Whether recent API changes mentioned in the description (URL.get_comments, URL.get_votes) have been addressed.
Package facts
| License | Not declared unclear |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | High. Source build required |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Abandoned 2,188 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | repository archived |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 166,529 / month, #10,490 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Operating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3 |
Evidence: virustotal3-1.0.8.tar.gz
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