Subj : Hundreds of GitHub repositories hijacked to trick users into down
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Wed Feb 26 2025 14:30:08

Hundreds of GitHub repositories hijacked to trick users into downloading 
malware

Date:
Wed, 26 Feb 2025 14:24:00 +0000

Description:
Criminals have been deploying different malware via hundreds of GitHub 
projects.

FULL STORY
======================================================================Kaspersk
y research finds "hundreds" of malicious GitHub commits Commits pretend to be 
useful software but trick victims into downloading malware At least one 
person lost 5 BTC because of the campaign 

Cybersecurity researchers Kaspersky have iscovered a longstanding, widespread 
criminal campaign targeting software developers with information-stealing 
malware . 

Kaspersky said it observed hundreds of fake GitHub repositories, some posing 
as tools and automation mechanisms, others as hacks and cracks, that were 
actually delivering different sorts of malware to their victims. They dubbed 
the campaign GitVenom. Apparently, someone has been very thorough, carefully 
setting up commits, writing accompanying documentation and readme files, all 
in order to avoid being flagged as malware. 

However, beneath the fake documents lies malicious code built in Python, 
JavaScript, C, C++. and C#. Kaspersky saw Node.js stealer, AsyncRAT, Qasar 
backdoor, and a clipboard hijacker. The malware has been circulating across 
GitHub for at least two years, Kaspersky stressed, with targets and victims 
located all over the world, but some countries are targeted more than others: 
with Russia, Brazil, and Turkey hit especially hard. Losing bitcoin 

There is no telling how many victims fell for the ruse, but Kaspersky singled 
out one case in which someone lost 5 BTC to the scam, equivalent to just 
under half a million dollars. 

GitHub is one of the most popular code repositories in the world, used every 
day by millions of software developers. It is an important platform that 
helps speed up and simplify software development, while at the same time 
improves security by allowing countless security experts to scrutinize the 
code. 

However, the popularity also draws in the wrong crowd. GitHub is constantly 
being bombarded with malware, as hackers employ typosquatting, impersonation, 
and outright fraud, to try and trick people into downloading malware instead 
of legitimate code. 

GitHubs maintainers work hard to keep the platform clean, and were forced on 
multiple occasions to suspend new account creation and new commits 
submissions, due to an onslaught of malware. 

 Via BleepingComputer You might also like GitHub is hiding malware disguised 
as games, legitimate software We've rounded up the best password managers 
Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/hundreds-of-github-repositories-hijacke
d-to-trick-users-into-downloading-malware


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