Malicious Code Campaign on GitHub Repos: Is it Hype or a Dire Threat?

In late February 2024, a large-scale attack created hundreds of thousands of malicious open-source repositories on GitHub. Threat actors forked reputable repositories and inserted malicious code, which could be executed if an unsuspecting developer cloned the compromised repo and ran the program. However, this type of attack requires a significant amount of social engineering effort to convince developers to clone the spoofed repo from GitHub and execute the code within it. To mitigate such risks, organizations should harden their git posture by limiting who can create repositories in their organization. They should also scan all source code repos for indicators of compromise and implement pipelineless security testing to ensure 100% code coverage from day one until the end of time. Additionally, educating developers about signs of low-reputation repositories can help them avoid falling victim to such attacks. While malicious repositories on GitHub pose a real threat, adopting these precautions and maintaining awareness can significantly reduce the risk and enable organizations to navigate repo confusion attacks effectively.