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Compromised Arch User Repository (AUR) Packages, installing RAT malware (lists.archlinux.org)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz to c/archlinux@lemmy.ml

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On the 16th of July, at around 8pm UTC+2, a malicious AUR package was uploaded to the AUR. Two other malicious packages were uploaded by the same user a few hours later. These packages were installing a script coming from the same GitHub repository that was identified as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT).

The affected malicious packages are:

librewolf-fix-bin
firefox-patch-bin
zen-browser-patched-bin

The Arch Linux team addressed the issue as soon as they became aware of the situation. As of today, 18th of July, at around 6pm UTC+2, the offending packages have been deleted from the AUR.

We strongly encourage users that may have installed one of these packages to remove them from their system and to take the necessary measures in order to ensure they were not compromised.

According to the gamingonlinux discord, the following packages are also suspected to be compromised:

https://aur.archlinux.org/pkgbase/minecraft-cracked/

https://aur.archlinux.org/pkgbase/ttf-ms-fonts-all/

https://aur.archlinux.org/pkgbase/vesktop-bin-patched/

https://aur.archlinux.org/pkgbase/ttf-all-ms-fonts/

If you have any of these packages installed, immediately delete it and check your system processes for a process called systemd-initd (this is the RAT).

Here is an analysis of the malicious payload: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/d9f0df8da6d66aaae024bdca26a228481049595279595e96d5ec615392430d67

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[–] slackness@lemmy.ml 35 points 2 days ago (16 children)

As a package maintainer in AUR, I never understood the awe with it. You're literally executing random shell scripts by strangers as root. It's the same thing as curl | sudo bash except its a lot easier to hide malicious things.

Most people claim they read the PKGBUILD (which I don't believe tbh) but I bet they don't read <package>.install scripts which don't have to be explicitly mentioned in the PKGBUILD if it shares the same name as the package.

I could push whatever I want to my package and hundreds of people will pick it up. Since I'm not a script kiddie like this guy, I could hide it much better too.

I guess what I'm saying is, don't execute unvetted bash scripts as root kids. Open source doesn't mean people verify the code. It just means they can.

[–] Eyck_of_denesle@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Because i don't have a track the updates and manage it's uninstall

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