Hackers Abusing to GitHub to Host Malicious Infrastructure

Cybersecurity experts from Recorded Future’s Insikt Group have uncovered a sophisticated cybercriminal campaign orchestrated by Russian-speaking threat actors from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

These cybercriminals have been exploiting GitHub, a platform widely trusted by developers, to host malicious infrastructure designed to impersonate legitimate software applications and distribute various types of malware.

Impersonation and Infiltration

The threat actors created fake GitHub profiles and repositories, skillfully impersonating popular software applications such as 1Password, Bartender 5, and Pixelmator Pro.

By doing so, they were able to deceive users into downloading counterfeit versions of these applications, which were laced with malware.

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The primary types of malware distributed through this deceptive strategy included the Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS), Vidar, Lumma, and Octo.

These malware variants are particularly dangerous, designed to infiltrate users’ systems and steal sensitive data, such as passwords, financial information, and personal identification details.

This method of attack not only highlights cybercriminals’ deep understanding of software development but also exploits users’ trust in downloading software from what they believe are reliable sources.

Coordinated Command and Control

Further analysis by the Insikt Group revealed that these malware variants were not isolated threats. They shared a common command-and-control (C2) infrastructure, indicating a coordinated effort to maximize the impact of the attacks.

This shared C2 setup suggests that the threat actors are part of a highly organized group, possessing substantial resources and the capability to launch sustained cyberattacks across various operating systems and devices.

Organizations are advised to implement rigorous security protocols in the short term, particularly when integrating external code into their environments.

An organization-wide code review process should be established, and automated scanning tools such as GitGuardian, Checkmarx, or GitHub Advanced Security should be utilized to detect potential malware or suspicious patterns in the code.

Companies should develop strategies to monitor and block unauthorized applications and third-party scripts for medium-term security enhancement, which could serve as gateways for malware entry.

Additionally, sharing intelligence and collaborating with the broader cybersecurity community is crucial to effectively combat multi-faceted campaigns like the one uncovered by Recorded Future.

The misuse of GitHub by cybercriminals to host malicious infrastructure is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within digital platforms, even those widely regarded as secure.

It underscores the need for heightened vigilance and enhanced security measures in the digital age, when the threat landscape is constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated.

Indicators of Compromise

Domains:

aptonic[.]xyz

arcbrowser[.]pro

cleanmymac[.]pro

cleanshot[.]ink

dekabristiney.fvds[.]ru

figma[.]lat

iina-app[.]lat

lightpillar[.]lat

macbartender[.]lat

orbitpettystudio[.]fun

parallelsdesktop[.]pro

password-app[.]pro

patrikbob100.fvds[.]ru

pixelmator[.]pics

pixelmator[.]us

punchtelephoneverdi[.]store

rainway[.]cloud

rize[.]lat

servicescraft[.]buzz

setapp[.]ink

sipapp[.]lat

skylum[.]store

smallrabbitcrossing[.]site

snuggleapplicationswo[.]fun

strainriskpropos[.]store

telephoneverdictyow[.]site

theoryapparatusjuko[.]fun

ultradelux[.]buzz

IP Addresses: 

5.42.64[.]45

5.42.64[.]83

5.42.65[.]108

5.42.65[.]114

31.41.244[.]77

45.61.137[.]213

49.13.89[.]149

77.246.158[.]48

81.31.245[.]209

95.217.234[.]153

140.82.20[.]165

185.172.128[.]132

185.215.113[.]55

188.120.227[.]9

193.149.189[.]199

195.85.115[.]195

URL:

github[.]com/papinyurii33

SHA256 Hashes:

0ae581638cedc98efb4d004a84ddd8397d1eab891fdfd836d27bd3ecf1d72c55

107a3addcb5fd5550b1bcd7a1c41f8e11e3911078d47ce507697f2f2993ff6d2

1383462f7f85b0a7c340f164472a7bd1dea39b23f674adc9999dca862346c3ef

152cb8b36dd023d09c742a033e76b87c6e4c2f09f6d84757001f16705eab05e7

152cb8b36dd023d09c742a033e76b87c6e4c2f09f6d84757001f16705eab05e7

16dbfb956e720b0b7c3ba5364765859f2eb1a9bf246daeeae74fb3f0d8c911da

17b52120268ceacf4a9d950d709b27aae11a5ddcbf60cbb9df340f0649c2849f

299f731437df0c0548275a35384f93ef9abfc2f020d507f4fe22f641abe5817c

3805cb7589da01a978e899fd4a051adec083c8543343ce637e448716cbbbcef1

401c113bc24701e80468047974c19c3b7936e4d34a6625ce996c12d1639de3ba

40f50f931029048dd6f81fc07268a5ccd5714e637206f92dea2e5a847c67dd69

42c33e7d37c8af8713e9c2557a6c27b92ea9aff88d88adfe4d68796860b68f4e

4e1d26d3a7feb06780717a7d99ebac8b926b0dffd2234e2f2704aee3a1c39474

5a75c44fee834f08819ac3b3d114fb723fce11f4f15a2ac256af5b8d76d3c85e

5db172c8d55088cfd5b3e148168f51e01893128b0ef35fbf971ec78d40354021

688636e7f11b16ef685115e84c98aa006fdb6e3dd72b2a7e984b41b57b8cd315

6f709406f88bde5a1622f42b2b22cfdb4fa03cf36d4f518df9c7ed9793f8ae9a

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7835e499d0030c850f7dd9b56d58ad7027f9bcda81348178ac029a22e0926da8

78ebf9dc8f62b49077393d2753746170e300f6ad7eb740c19ac449ae3d3ef8b1

7e0f9a359298e0822e7de42db933a5e1d6f46255b47e0d86dd4d16abad44f834

824e35d8dd11acdcb3c48d8c66114eccb25c2fff2d8cb047cd5b4b6c22c481a7

89ed92a03d1e8e2ff06e74a51a0dfabb4cbaa27794a2d2588015d219956a1e7b

95aadba24cb01df8760f2d3f80ef29d2c452b43945a1ad22e29a0771c12f04f1

b1b162e0d066425bfa84ba6eacc976ba36a348c90d87901dc06bab55e26b5939

c301eb35ea5e8c216aa841c96aca078f7fe9950382de17ae928d5de02b586033

cbbbd6b953b3e377662407c18a423225e214127707447c9c8318bc1e0863b82d

cd39b0faa64702e596afc66fe32b467c478724a0fbda9fa8679f64927f34c1b2

f81f1dfc07e5b84cd158ed24ec60ac43a2d2427835d4d1a21b8f8622b7b706a6

f83261fc31892d0e4eda20fb2f1107ca64d60f282abdcde58b4e8726b80382b4

AES Keys:

3335366532396633346264303137363965376666616565313833623436353833

3534353639643261616165373137363333356136376266373265383637333666

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