All news with #github tag

⚠ Forked IDEs based on Microsoft VSCode (such as Cursor, Windsurf, Google Antigravity and Trae) retain hardcoded extension recommendations that point to Microsoft's Visual Studio Marketplace. Because these forks use OpenVSX instead, several recommended publisher namespaces were unclaimed, enabling attackers to register them and publish malicious extensions. Supply-chain researchers at Koi claimed affected namespaces and uploaded inert placeholders while coordinating with the Eclipse Foundation to secure the registry.

🐀 Attackers are hosting counterfeit proof-of-concept exploit repositories on GitHub to deliver the Webrat backdoor to unsuspecting users. Kaspersky analysts observed polished, likely machine-generated README files that mask a password-protected ZIP; the archive password is hidden in filenames and often missed. Inside are decoy DLLs, batch loaders and executables (e.g., rasmanesc.exe) that disable Windows Defender, escalate privileges, and fetch the real payload from hardcoded C2 servers. The campaign, active since at least September 2025, appears tuned to catch novice researchers and students who analyze PoCs outside isolated environments.

🛡️ Kaspersky researchers found WebRAT backdoor being distributed through GitHub repositories that posed as proof‑of‑concept exploits for recently disclosed vulnerabilities. The malicious packages were delivered as password‑protected ZIPs containing a corrupted decoy DLL, a batch script, and a main dropper named rasmanesc.exe that elevates privileges, disables Defender, and downloads WebRAT. All identified repositories have been removed, but developers are urged to verify PoC sources and test untrusted code in isolated environments.

🔓 A security researcher reported that a Home Depot employee accidentally published a private GitHub access token in early 2024, which granted access to private repositories and cloud infrastructure. When tested, the token allowed write permissions to Home Depot repos and access to order fulfillment and inventory systems. The researcher said multiple disclosure emails went unanswered; the token was removed after TechCrunch contacted the company.

🛡️ Researchers warn that a wave of malicious GitHub repositories are distributing a newly observed JavaScript-based RAT called PyStoreRAT, delivered via minimal Python/JS loader stubs that fetch and execute remote HTA files through mshta.exe. The deceptive projects — marketed as OSINT utilities, DeFi bots, GPT wrappers, and developer tools — often exhibit non-functional or placeholder interfaces designed to build trust. Once executed, the multi-stage implant can run EXE, DLL, PowerShell, MSI, Python, and HTA modules and deploys a follow-on information stealer, Rhadamanthys. The initial stage also checks for security products such as CrowdStrike and Cybereason to reduce visibility and establishes persistence via a scheduled task masquerading as an NVIDIA update.

🔍 ReversingLabs uncovered a campaign that embedded malware in 19 Visual Studio Code extensions by tampering with bundled dependencies. Attackers replaced the widely used npm package path-is-absolute to execute a JavaScript dropper from a file named "lock" and hid two binaries inside an archive disguised as banner.png. The payloads were launched via cmstp.exe, including a process-terminating component and a Rust-based Trojan; Microsoft has been notified.

🔒 Recent research from the Wiz Customer Incident Response Team shows attackers are using exposed GitHub Personal Access Tokens (PATs) to retrieve GitHub Action Secrets and pivot into cloud environments. A read-level PAT can leverage GitHub’s API code search to locate secret references like "${{ secrets.SECRET_NAME }}" — and because those search API calls are not logged, discovery is stealthy. Once obtained, cloud provider credentials let attackers spin up resources, exfiltrate data, install malware, or persist while often evading detection. Organizations should treat PATs as privileged credentials: enforce expiration and rotation, remove cloud secrets from workflows, apply least privilege, and improve monitoring and developer training.

🛡️ The Shai-Hulud 2.0 campaign is a widescale npm supply-chain compromise that injects malicious preinstall scripts to execute a bundled Bun runtime and harvest cloud credentials. Microsoft Defender observed attackers installing GitHub Actions runners named SHA1HULUD, using TruffleHog to locate secrets, and exfiltrating stolen credentials to public repositories. The guidance outlines detections, hunting queries, and prioritized mitigations for developers, maintainers, and cloud defenders.

🔍 The GlassWorm supply-chain campaign has resurfaced with 24 malicious extensions distributed across the Microsoft Visual Studio Marketplace and Open VSX, impersonating popular developer tools such as Flutter, React and Tailwind. Researchers say attackers inflated download counts and slipped malicious updates after initial approval to evade filters. Analysis found Rust-based implants that load platform-specific libraries (os.node and darwin.node) to fetch Solana-based C2 details and download encrypted JavaScript payloads, while a Google Calendar fallback is also used. Developers and repository maintainers are urged to audit installed extensions and review update histories.

🐛 The Glassworm campaign has resurfaced in a third wave, with 24 new malicious VS Code-compatible extensions appearing on both the Microsoft Visual Studio Marketplace and OpenVSX. Once installed, these extensions push updates that deploy Rust-based implants, use invisible Unicode to evade review, exfiltrate GitHub, npm, and OpenVSX credentials and cryptocurrency wallet data, and deploy a SOCKS proxy and an HVNC client for stealthy remote access. Researchers say attackers inflate download counts to blend with legitimate projects and manipulate search results; both vendors have been contacted about continued bypasses.

🔐 A new wave of the self‑replicating npm worm, dubbed Sha1‑Hulud: The Second Coming, impacted over 800 packages and 27,000 GitHub repositories, targeting API keys, cloud credentials, and repo authentication data. The campaign backdoored packages, republished malicious installs, and created GitHub Actions workflows for command‑and‑control while dynamically installing Bun to evade Node.js defenses. GitGuardian reported hundreds of thousands of exposed secrets; PyPI was not affected.

⚠️ Researchers at Wiz, JFrog and others are tracking a renewed campaign of the Shai‑Hulud credentials‑stealing worm spreading through the npm registry and GitHub. The new Shai‑Hulud 2.0 executes during the preinstall phase, exfiltrates developer and CI/CD secrets to randomized repositories, and injects malicious payloads into other packages. Widely used modules, including @asyncapi/specs, Zapier, Postman and others, have been compromised, prompting immediate remediation steps for affected developers and organizations.

🔍 AWS announced general availability of a new Application Observability for AWS GitHub Action and enhancements to the CloudWatch Application Signals MCP server that embed observability into developer workflows. Developers can now request trace-aware diagnostics inside GitHub — for example by mentioning @awsapm in Issues — and receive intelligent, observability-based responses without switching consoles. The MCP server updates also let AI coding agents (such as Kiro) identify the exact file, function, and line causing latency or errors and provide or modify OTel-based instrumentation guidance for CDK or Terraform across ECS, EKS, Lambda, and EC2.

🔒 DevOps platforms like GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps accelerate development but also introduce data risks from misconfigurations, exposed credentials, and service outages. Under the SaaS shared responsibility model, customers retain liability for protecting repository data and must enforce MFA, RBAC, and tested backups. Third-party immutable backups and left-shifted security practices are recommended to mitigate ransomware, insider threats, and accidental deletions.

⚠️ A malicious npm package, @acitons/artifact, impersonated the legitimate @actions/artifact module and was uploaded on November 7 to specifically target GitHub Actions CI/CD workflows. It included a post-install hook that executed an obfuscated shell-script named "harness," which fetched a JavaScript payload (verify.js) to detect GitHub runners and exfiltrate build tokens. Using those tokens the attacker could publish artifacts and impersonate GitHub; the package accrued over 260,000 downloads across six versions before detection.

🔍 Cybersecurity researchers uncovered a malicious npm package, @acitons/artifact, that typosquats the legitimate @actions/artifact package to target GitHub-owned repositories. Veracode says versions 4.0.12–4.0.17 included a post-install hook that downloaded and executed a payload intended to exfiltrate build tokens and then publish artifacts as GitHub. The actor (npm user blakesdev) removed the offending versions and the last public npm release remains 4.0.10. Recommended actions include removing the malicious versions, auditing dependencies for typosquats, rotating exposed tokens, and hardening CI/CD supply-chain protections.

🐛 Researchers have found a renewed wave of the GlassWorm supply-chain worm targeting Visual Studio Code extensions and GitHub repositories after it was previously declared contained. The malware hides JavaScript payloads in undisplayable Unicode characters, making malicious code invisible in editors, and uses blockchain memos on Solana to publish remote C2 endpoints. Koi researchers identified three newly compromised OpenVSX extensions and observed credential theft and AI-styled commits used to propagate the worm.

🧠 Gemini Code Assist on GitHub now supports persistent memory that learns from merged pull request interactions to capture a team's coding standards, style, and best practices. The memory is stored securely in a Google-managed project specific to each installation and is applied selectively to relevant reviews. It infers reusable rules from review threads and uses them both to shape initial analysis and to filter draft suggestions so the agent adapts over time and reduces repetitive feedback.

🔒 Researchers identified three malicious VS Code extensions tied to the GlassWorm campaign that together had thousands of installs. The packages — ai-driven-dev.ai-driven-dev, adhamu.history-in-sublime-merge, and yasuyuky.transient-emacs — were still available at reporting. Koi Security warns GlassWorm harvests Open VSX, GitHub, and Git credentials, abuses invisible Unicode for obfuscation, and uses blockchain-updated C2 endpoints. Defenders should audit extensions, rotate exposed tokens and credentials, and monitor repositories and wallet activity for signs of compromise.

🔒 The Eclipse Foundation said it revoked a small number of Open VSX access tokens after Wiz reported several VS Code extensions had inadvertently exposed credentials in public repositories. The exposures were attributed to developer error, not an Open VSX infrastructure compromise. Open VSX introduced an ovsxp_ token prefix, removed flagged extensions, reduced default token lifetimes, and plans automated scans to bolster supply‑chain defenses.