Kaspersky: Hackers are using fake GitHub projects to steal cryptocurrency. Users are advised to carefully check third-party code behavior before downloading

BlockBeats News: On February 26th, cybersecurity company Kaspersky recently released research showing that hackers are creating hundreds of fake projects on the GitHub platform, luring users to download malicious software containing stolen cryptocurrencies and credentials. Kaspersky named this malicious software activity 'GitVenom'. Kaspersky analyst Georgy Kucherin pointed out in a report on February 24th that these fraudulent projects include Telegram bots managing Bitcoin wallets and automated Instagram account interaction tools. Hackers carefully design project documentation, may use AI tools to generate content, and artificially increase the number of project "submissions" to make the project appear actively under development. According to Kaspersky's investigation, these malicious projects can be traced back at least two years, and regardless of how they are presented, they all contain malicious components such as information theft tools that upload user saved credentials, cryptocurrency wallet data, and browsing history through Telegram, as well as clipboard hijackers that replace encrypted wallet addresses. In November 2023, a user lost 5 bitcoins (approximately $442000) as a result. Kaspersky recommends that users carefully check the behavior of third-party code before downloading. （Cointelegraph）