North Korean IT Workers Exploiting GitHub to Attack Organizations Worldwide

A sophisticated network of suspected North Korean IT workers has been discovered leveraging GitHub to create false identities and secure remote employment opportunities in Japan and the United States. Companies are urged to implement stronger verification processes for remote developers by scrutinizing GitHub histories for unnatural activity patterns, analyzing repository creation dates, and conducting live coding tests rather than relying solely on portfolio submissions. Analysis of his GitHub repositories showed common characteristics with other DPRK-linked accounts, including repository naming conventions and commit timing patterns. The elaborate scheme involves repurposing and enhancing existing GitHub accounts to establish technical credibility while deliberately avoiding social media presence that might expose their true identities. For example, the account “nickdev0118” was discovered collaborating with “AnacondaDev0120,” another suspected North Korean profile, revealing their coordinated activities. Investigation revealed sophisticated GitHub manipulation techniques where accounts fabricate contribution histories through co-authored commits with previously identified DPRK-linked profiles. With years of experience under his belt in Cyber Security, he is covering Cyber Security News, technology and other news. Their research uncovered email addresses containing recurring elements such as “116” and “dev,” which helped connect various personas to a coordinated network. The most compelling case study involves “Huy Diep” (also known as “HuiGia Diep”), who secured a software engineering position at Japanese company Tenpct Inc. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. Rewterz researchers identified consistent patterns among these DPRK-affiliated workers, noting they typically claim expertise in web and mobile app development, multiple programming languages, and blockchain technology. Tushar is a Cyber security content editor with a passion for creating captivating and informative content.

This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:30:13 +0000

Cyber News related to North Korean IT Workers Exploiting GitHub to Attack Organizations Worldwide

North Korean IT worker army expands operations in Europe - GTIG's report follows multiple warnings issued by the FBI regarding North Korea's massive army of IT workers sent abroad to generate revenue, who have tricked hundreds of companies in the United States and worldwide into hiring them over the years. ...
2 weeks ago Bleepingcomputer.com

Moonstone Sleet emerges as new North Korean threat actor with new bag of tricks - Microsoft has identified a new North Korean threat actor, now tracked as Moonstone Sleet, that uses both a combination of many tried-and-true techniques used by other North Korean threat actors and unique attack methodologies to target companies for ...
10 months ago Microsoft.com

Woman Accused of Helping North Korean IT Workers Infiltrate Hundreds of US Firms - The US government has announced charges, seizures, arrests and rewards as part of an effort to disrupt a scheme in which North Korean IT workers infiltrated hundreds of companies and earned millions of dollars for North Korea. According to the ...
11 months ago Securityweek.com

North Korea's state hackers stole $3 billion in crypto since 2017 - North Korean-backed state hackers have stolen an estimated $3 billion in a long string of hacks targeting the cryptocurrency industry over the last six years since January 2017. Kimsuky, Lazarus Group, Andariel, and other North Korean hacking groups ...
1 year ago Bleepingcomputer.com Andariel Kimsuky Lazarus Group

Cybersecurity for Remote Workers: Best Practices - In the current era of remote work, organizations worldwide face a critical concern: ensuring the cybersecurity of their remote workers. To address this issue, businesses must establish a robust cybersecurity framework that incorporates best practices ...
1 year ago Securityzap.com

North Korean Hackers Use Fake Job Offers & Salary Bumps as Lure for Crypto Theft - Recent investigations have uncovered a massive operation carried out by North Korean hackers looking to steal cryptocurrency through fake job offers and salary bumps. According to recent reports, hackers have been able to trace the malicious ...
2 years ago Therecord.media

North Korean Hackers Utilizing Credential Stuffing to Launch Cyberattacks - In an alarming new report, researchers found that North Korean-linked hackers have been using stolen passwords during cyberattacks to gain access to various government, military and financial networks. According to security experts, the creative ...
2 years ago Thehackernews.com

US govt sanctions North Korea's Kimsuky hacking group - The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned the North Korean-backed Kimsuky hacking group for stealing intelligence in support of the country's strategic goals. OFAC has also sanctioned eight North Korean agents for ...
1 year ago Bleepingcomputer.com Andariel Kimsuky

macOS Malware Mix & Match: North Korean APTs Stir Up Fresh Attacks - North Korean advanced persistent threat groups are mixing and matching components of two recently unleashed types of Mac-targeted malware to evade detection and fly under the radar as they continue their efforts to conduct operations at the behest of ...
1 year ago Darkreading.com

North Korea's Kimsuky Attacks Rivals' Trusted Platforms - North Korea-linked threat groups are increasingly using living-off-the-land (LotL) techniques and trusted services to evade detection, with a recent Kimsuky campaign showcasing the use of PowerShell scripts and storing data in Dropbox folders, along ...
1 month ago Darkreading.com Andariel Kimsuky

Cyber Employment 2024: Sky-High Expectations Fail Businesses & Job Seekers - Well-publicized estimates of a massive shortfall in cybersecurity workers have resulted in high expectations among job seekers in the field, but the reality often falls flat, because of a mismatch between companies' requirements and job seekers' ...
1 year ago Darkreading.com Equation

State-Sponsored APT Groups Use Ransomware Tactics for Intelligence Gathering and Sabotage - State-sponsored threat groups are increasingly using ransomware-like tactics to hide more insidious activities. Russian APT group Sandworm has used ransomware programs to destroy data multiple times in the past six months, while North Korea's Lazarus ...
2 years ago Csoonline.com Andariel APT3 APT37 APT38 Kimsuky Lazarus Group BianLian

North Korean IT Workers Infiltrate International Companies To Plant Backdoors on Systems - The infiltration of North Korean IT workers into international companies poses a dual threat of sanctions violations and severe cybersecurity risks. The rise of remote work has provided new opportunities for North Korean IT workers to gain employment ...
2 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com

FBI Charges North Korean Hackers Over $100 Million Stolen in Crypto Hack - The FBI has recently charged a North Korean hacker in connection with the Harmony crypto hack from which the hacker allegedly stole over $100 million. The hacker, Jon Chang Hyok, is a member of the North Korean military intelligence agency, the ...
2 years ago Bleepingcomputer.com

Unmasking Moonstone Sleet: A Deep Dive into North Korea's Latest Cyber Threat - Moonstone Sleet: A New North Korean Threat Actor Microsoft discovered a new North Korean threat actor, Moonstone Sleet, who targets companies with a combination of tried-and-true techniques used by other North Korean threat actors as well as unique ...
10 months ago Cysecurity.news

North Korean Hackers Attacked Indian Medical and Energy Companies - The North Korean military's notorious hacking arm, known as the Lazarus Group, has been accused of targeting public and private sector research organizations, an Indian medical research company, and other businesses in the energy sector. Security ...
2 years ago Therecord.media Lazarus Group BianLian

North Korean IT Workers Exploiting GitHub to Attack Organizations Worldwide - A sophisticated network of suspected North Korean IT workers has been discovered leveraging GitHub to create false identities and secure remote employment opportunities in Japan and the United States. Companies are urged to implement stronger ...
4 weeks ago Cybersecuritynews.com

Microsoft links North Korean hackers to new FakePenny ransomware - Microsoft has linked a North Korean hacking group it tracks as Moonstone Sleet to FakePenny ransomware attacks, which have led to millions of dollars in ransom demands. While this threat group's tactics, techniques, and procedures largely overlapped ...
10 months ago Bleepingcomputer.com Kimsuky Lazarus Group LockBit Ransomhub

Microsoft: Lazarus hackers breach CyberLink in supply chain attack - Microsoft says a North Korean hacking group has breached Taiwanese multimedia software company CyberLink and trojanized one of its installers to push malware in a supply chain attack targeting potential victims worldwide. According to Microsoft ...
1 year ago Bleepingcomputer.com Lazarus Group

US seizes Sinbad crypto mixer used by North Korean Lazarus hackers - The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned the Sinbad cryptocurrency mixing service for its use as a money-laundering tool by the North Korean Lazarus hacking group. A cryptocurrency mixer is a server that allows people to deposit crypto, ...
1 year ago Bleepingcomputer.com Lazarus Group

The past year was the most detrimental for digital currency security breaches, with North Korean organizations profiting. - In 2022, cyberattacks on cryptocurrency platforms resulted in the theft of almost $4 billion, with a large portion of the activity being attributed to hackers working on behalf of the North Korean government. According to blockchain research firm ...
2 years ago Therecord.media Lazarus Group

Experts from the United Nations Report North Korean Hackers Have Taken a Large Amount of Digital Assets - Last year, North Korean hackers working for the government stole a record-breaking amount of virtual assets estimated to be worth between $630 million and more than $1 billion, according to a new report from U.N. experts. The panel of experts said ...
2 years ago Securityweek.com Andariel Kimsuky Lazarus Group Rocke

North Korean Hackers Stole $600m in Crypto in 2023 - North Korean hackers stole at least $600m in cryptocurrency in 2023, around a third of the total value of such heists, according to blockchain intelligence firm TRM. Despite the eye-watering sum, this figure represents a 30% reduction on ...
1 year ago Infosecurity-magazine.com

North Korean Hackers Behind Major Cyberattacks, Confirmed by FBI - The FBI released a statement confirming that North Korea was behind a series of major cyberattacks in the past year. It is the first time that the FBI has attributed such activity to North Korea. The attacks included intrusions into networks, ...
2 years ago Thehackernews.com

Seoul Police Reveals: North Korean Hackers Stole South Korean Anti-Aircraft Data - South Korea: Seoul police have charged Andariel, a North Korea-based hacker group for stealing critical defense secrets from South Korea's defense companies. Allegedly, the laundering ransomware is redirected to North Korea. One of the 1.2 terabytes ...
1 year ago Cysecurity.news Andariel Lazarus Group