NPM supply chain attack uses Ethereum blockchain

Photo of a chain illustrating the discovery of a malware campaign that takes advantage of the npm packages ecosystem for a software supply chain attack and uses the Ethereum blockchain for resilience against cyber security detection and mitigation strategies.

Checkmarx researchers have detected a unique supply chain attack within the NPM ecosystem that uses the Ethereum blockchain.

The malicious package, dubbed "jest-fet-mock," targets developers with a multi-platform malware employing Ethereum smart contracts for command-and-control (C2) operations. This marks a convergence of blockchain technology with traditional attack vectors—a method not yet observed in NPM packages. 

Attack mechanics and distribution

The...

4 November 2024 | Blockchain

EMERALDWHALE exploits vulnerable Git configuration files

A whale made of emerald illustrating the discovery of the EMERALDWHALE campaign by cyber security researchers that exploits Git configuration files and has leaked over 15,000 credentials.

Sysdig’s Threat Research Team (TRT) has uncovered a global operation known as EMERALDWHALE, which has stolen over 15,000 cloud service credentials by exploiting exposed Git configuration files.

EMERALDWHALE utilised multiple private tools to exploit several misconfigured web services, resulting in the theft of credentials from more than 10,000 private repositories.

Though the operation's primary targets appeared to be cloud service and email providers, the ultimate aim...

1 November 2024 | Developer

Foundem vs. Google: How one startup’s story shaped big tech regulations

Foundem vs. Google: How one startup's story shaped big tech regulations

For most startup founders, launch day is a nerve-wracking blend of excitement and worry. But for Shivaun Raff and her husband, Adam, that day in June 2006 turned into a nightmare they hadn't seen coming.

Their new venture, Foundem—a unique price comparison website they'd left stable careers to create—was finally live. But soon after launch, Foundem practically vanished from Google. Marked as spam by Google's algorithm, the site was buried deep in search results for terms like...

31 October 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Beyond antivirus: Other essential tools to protect your Mac

Beyond antivirus: Other essential tools to protect your Mac

Macs were once thought to be nearly invincible from a cybersecurity perspective, but now face more threats than ever. Just a few years ago, Mac-specific malware was a rarity. In 2021, security specialist Patrick Wardle discovered eight new malware families that targeted the platform. By 2023, that number grew to 21. While this may seem small next to the number of CVEs that affect Windows, It's a reminder that Macs aren't as immune as were once believed.

With macOS gaining...

31 October 2024 | Developer

Holistic’s open-source tools counter AI development risks

Woman punching illustrating the launch of Holistic AI open-source tools to counter artificial intelligence software development risks and algorithmic bias.

Holistic has unveiled an open-source library to help counter AI development risks and build fairer and more responsible systems.

The library – dubbed Holistic AI OSL – arrives at a crucial moment when organisations are increasingly deploying AI systems across sensitive domains including recruitment, healthcare, and financial services. Recent studies suggest that 65% of AI researchers and developers still consider bias a significant challenge in their work.

Holistic...

23 October 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Zscaler highlights security trends challenging developers

Pile of keys illustrating the security trends and challenges posed to developers highlighted in Zscaler ThreatLabz's latest cybersecurity report for 2024.

Zscaler has released its annual ThreatLabz report, highlighting security challenges that should be on every developer's radar.

The 2024 Mobile, IoT, and OT Threat Report – covering June 2023 to May 2024 – highlights critical vulnerabilities in mobile applications, IoT devices, and operational technology (OT) systems that demand immediate attention from the development community.

One of the most alarming findings is the discovery of over 200 infected applications in...

15 October 2024 | Android

Entry points threaten multiple open-source ecosystems

Sign illustrating how vulnerabilities with entry points can be exploited by hackers to threaten open-source packages of multiple programming ecosystems.

While current tools have improved at detecting common tactics for exploiting open-source packages, a feature remains largely overlooked: entry points.

Security researchers at Checkmarx uncovered how attackers can leverage entry points across multiple programming ecosystems, with a particular focus on PyPI, to trick victims into running malicious code. This method – while not allowing for immediate system compromise – offers a subtler approach for patient attackers to...

14 October 2024 | Developer

GitLab releases critical security patches amid vulnerability streak

Person applying a band aid illustrating DevOps platform GitLab issuing new critical security patches following a streak of vulnerabilities that could impact organisations and software developers.

GitLab has released a new round of critical security patches for its Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE) products. The company strongly recommends that all self-managed GitLab installations be upgraded immediately to one of the latest versions: 17.4.2, 17.3.5, or 17.2.9.

These patch releases address several critical and high-severity vulnerabilities, including a critical flaw that could allow attackers to run pipelines on arbitrary branches. This latest security...

11 October 2024 | Developer

Safe Coding: Google’s strategy reduces memory safety vulnerabilities

Google logo illustrating its Safe Coding strategy to reduce memory safety vulnerabilities to improve security.

Google has unveiled compelling data highlighting the efficacy of its "Safe Coding" approach in reducing memory safety vulnerabilities.

The tech giant's strategy, which prioritises the use of memory-safe programming languages for new code development, has yielded impressive results. Most notably, Android has seen a sharp decline in memory safety vulnerabilities, plummeting from 76% of all vulnerabilities in 2019 to just 24% in 2024.

This reduction is particularly...

26 September 2024 | Android

North Korean hackers target developers with fake job interviews

Software developer in a fake job interview orchestrated by hackers.

Cybersecurity researchers at ReversingLabs have uncovered malicious software packages linked to a campaign known as VMConnect, believed to be orchestrated by the North Korean hacking team Lazarus Group. The campaign, first identified in August 2023, uses fake job interviews to lure developers into downloading and executing malicious code.

The latest samples were traced to GitHub projects associated with previous targeted attacks. Researchers were able to identify one compromised...

11 September 2024 | Developer