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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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[–] ArtixCory@lemmy.ml 0 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Not every PKGBUILD contains a .install file. So again, it is not inherently the case that you’re "literally executing random shell scripts by strangers as root." slackness has it right that most people probably don't read the install files, but it seems to me that their prevalence in the AUR is overstated here.

[–] slackness@lemmy.ml 1 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Why don't you just google (or ask an llm if thats too challenging) instead of making stuff up?

[–] ArtixCory@lemmy.ml 0 points 3 hours ago

What am I making up? That most AUR packages don't have a .install file? You couldn't be bothered to say what I got wrong or provide any evidence to back it up so I can only assume. But if you have issue with me speculating about how common .install files are in the AUR, fine. Here are some numbers.

Out of the 2500 packages I analyzed, only 19.08% of them had an install list in their PKGBUILD. One could very easily use the AUR and never, and I quote, "literally [execute] random shell scripts by strangers as root."

I also dug deeper regarding your claim that install files "don't have to be explicitly mentioned in the PKGBUILD if it shares the same name as the package." I can't find any evidence of that. It doesn't have to be listed in the sources, which is probably what you meant.

Clearly these couldn't be the things I'm wrong about, so I await your careful clarification.