GitHub is hiding malware disguised as games, legitimate software

GitHub is hiding malware disguised as games, legitimate software

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GitHub is hiding malware disguised as games, legitimate software
Published: Jan, 29 2025 17:03

Threat actors are targeting children with new campaign. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Cybercriminals are using GitHub to target children with infostealing malware, a new McAfee report has claimed, saying it spotted an ongoing malicious campaign on the popular code repository.

 [Password]
Image Credit: TechRadar [Password]

In an analysis, the researchers said they observed many repositories pretending to be game hacks, cracks, or free versions of otherwise commercial software. However, instead of providing these programs, the repositories were actually hosting Lumma Stealer, a known infostealer malware.

 [ransomware avast]
Image Credit: TechRadar [ransomware avast]

“McAfee Labs encountered multiple repositories, offering game hacks for top-selling video games such as Apex Legends, Minecraft, Counter Strike 2.0, Roblox, Valorant, Fortnite, Call of Duty, GTA V and or offering cracked versions of popular software and services, such as Spotify Premium, FL Studio, Adobe Express, SketchUp Pro, Xbox Game Pass, and Discord to name a few,” the researchers said.

 [A Dragonborn warrior, Tiefling rogue and Halfling mage preparing for battle next to a sign saying
Image Credit: TechRadar [A Dragonborn warrior, Tiefling rogue and Halfling mage preparing for battle next to a sign saying "Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked"]

This “network of repositories”, as McAfee described it, changes the description every week, and creates new repositories, since the old ones get flagged and removed by GitHub. The payload, however, always remains the same. “These repositories also include distribution licenses and software screenshots to enhance their appearance of legitimacy,” McAfee concluded.

 [A hand holds a smartphone displaying the NordVPN logo]
Image Credit: TechRadar [A hand holds a smartphone displaying the NordVPN logo]

The descriptions also contain instructions on how to download and run the malware, and how to disable any antivirus programs on the computer, before running it. The attackers said that antivirus solutions flag these programs as false-positives, and can safely be ignored.

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