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Hackers poison source code for largest Discord bot platform

BleepingComputer
·
Bill Toulas
·
Published Mar 25, 2024
·
Updated

The Top.gg Discord bot community with over 170,000 members has been impacted by a supply-chain attack aiming to deliver malware that steals sensitive information. The threat actor has been using several tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) over the years including hijacking GitHub accounts, distributing malicious Python packages, using a fake Python infrastructure, and social engineering. One of the more recent victims of the attacker is Top.gg, a popular search-and-discovery platform for Discord servers, bots, and other social tools geared towards gaming, boosting engagement, and improving functionality. Checkmarx researchers discovered the campaign and note that the main goal was most likely data theft and monetization through selling the stolen info. According to the researchers, the attacker's activity started back in November 2022, when they first uploaded malicious packages on the Python Package Index (PyPI). In the years that followed, more packages carrying malware were uploaded to PyPI. These resembled popular open-source tools with enticing descriptions that would make them more likely to rank well in search engine results. The most recent upload was a package named "yocolor" in March this year. In early 2024, the attackers set up a fake Python package mirror at "files[.]pypihosted[.]org," which is a typosquatting attempt to mimic the authentic "files.pythonhosted.org" where the artifact files of PyPI packages are stored. This fake mirror was used to host poi...

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Affected Software

2 affected components
Python Package Index (PyPI)
Top.gg python-sdk
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the main topic of this article?

The article discusses a supply-chain attack targeting the Top.gg Discord bot platform, which has affected its community of over 170,000 members.

2

What security implications are discussed?

The article highlights the risk of malware being introduced into systems through poisoned source code, compromising sensitive information.

3

What products or software are affected?

The affected software includes the Top.gg python-sdk and the Python Package Index (PyPI).

4

Who are the threat actors behind the attack?

The article mentions that the threat actor employs various tactics, techniques, and procedures but does not identify them specifically.

5

What actions can users take to protect themselves from this vulnerability?

Users are advised to avoid using unverified or malicious packages from code repositories and keep their software updated.

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