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The OpenSourceMalware Show #13
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The OpenSourceMalware Show #13

Weekly OpenSourceMalware podcast episode covering four security stories: GitHub enabling a default 3-day Dependabot cooldown to blunt account-takeover malware; the JScrambler npm compromise where a stolen/unknown publishing credential was used to push five malicious versions (moving the trigger from a pre-install script to on-import execution) plus four pinned dependent packages; the AsyncAPI compromise via a 58-day-unpatched GitHub Actions pull_request_target flaw that let attackers steal a privileged token and publish malicious @asyncapi npm packages containing components derived from the open-sourced Miasma malware; and new PolinRider (DPRK-linked) research showing a 6.5x rise in confirmed poisoned repos since March, with 94% of payloads delivered via JavaScript config-file injection and the rest via fake font files, plus multiple redundant triggers via VS Code task.json and git post-checkout/pre-commit hooks targeting individual developers previously compromised via Contagious Interview/TasksJacker.

TL;DR OpenSourceMalware podcast recaps Dependabot cooldowns going default-on, the JScrambler and AsyncAPI npm supply-chain compromises, and new PolinRider (DPRK) research showing a 6.5x jump in poisoned repos via config-file/fake-font/VS Code triggers.

Organisations named here

  • AsyncAPI
  • pull_request_target

Technologies named here

  • jscrambler
  • Dependabot
  • JScrambler-related npm packages
  • OpenSourceMalware threat reports/dataset
  • @asyncapi npm packages
  • Detection script
  • VS Code hardening guidance
  • GitHub Actions
  • VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf
  • npm
  • VS Code
  • git

Techniques named here

  • Pre-install script npm lifecycle trigger
  • On-import execution
  • pull_request_target GitHub Actions exploitation
  • Account takeover of publishing credentials
  • Config file injection
  • Fake font file technique
  • Fake dictionary file technique
  • VS Code task.json auto-execution
  • settings.json overwrite
  • Git post-checkout hook abuse
  • Git pre-commit hook abuse
  • CIS/Russian-language country check
  • Multi-trigger redundancy
  • Pwn Request

Threat actors named here

  • PolinRider
  • TasksJacker
  • Contagious Interview
  • Miasma
  • Shai-Hulud 2.0
  • DPRK
  • Unnamed threat actor