Malware

North Korean threat actors responsible for the “Contagious Interview” campaign have flooded the npm registry with 197 additional malicious packages since last month. According to a Socket analysis, these packages have accumulated more than 31,000 downloads and are designed to distribute a variant of OtterCookie that combines features from BeaverTail and previous versions of OtterCookie. Infection Mechanism and Malware Capabilities The malware, once executed, performs various evasion actions, profiles the compromised machine and establishes a command and control (C2) channel. This channel provides attackers with remote shell and data theft capabilities, including: ...

Multiple security companies have warned of a second wave of attacks affecting the npm registry, reminiscent of the Shai-Hulud attack of September 2025. This new campaign, called Sha1-Hulud, has compromised hundreds of npm packages between November 21 and 23, 2025. According to Wiz researchers, the new variant of the attack executes malicious code during the preinstall phase, significantly increasing exposure in build and runtime environments. The Evolution of the Sha1-Hulud Attack The Sha1-Hulud attack shares similarities with the previous wave, which also posted stolen secrets on GitHub under the description “Sha1-Hulud: The Second Coming.” The previous wave was characterized by compromising legitimate packages to search for secrets on developer machines using the TruffleHog credential scanner and propagate in a self-replicating manner. ...

A new command and control (C2) platform called Matrix Push C2 is being used by cybercriminals to distribute malware, taking advantage of a legitimate feature of web browsers: push notifications. According to a report by BlackFrog, this malicious platform tricks users with fake system notifications, redirects them to malicious websites, monitors victims in real time, and scans for cryptocurrency wallets. How Does the Matrix Push C2 Attack Work? Matrix Push C2 abuses the browser’s push notification system to create a C2 communication channel. The attack process takes place in several stages: ...

The cyber threat landscape targeting Chinese-speaking users has intensified with the detection of multiple malware campaigns. Two recent reports highlight the sophistication of threat actors using the Gh0st RAT remote access trojan, a malware known for its versatility. One of the campaigns involves the threat actor known as Dragon Breath (also APT-Q-27 or Golden Eye), which uses a multi-phase loader called RONINGLOADER to deliver a modified variant of Gh0st RAT. Simultaneously, another series of large-scale phishing campaigns have been distributing the same malware. ...