Description

Threat actors operating under the name 'Stargazer Goblin' have established a sophisticated Malware Distribution-as-a-Service (DaaS) network using over 3,000 fake GitHub accounts to spread information-stealing malware. This operation, known as the Stargazers Ghost Network, leverages GitHub repositories and compromised WordPress sites to distribute password-protected archives containing malware. The malware frequently includes infostealers such as RedLine, Lumma Stealer, Rhadamanthys, RisePro, and Atlantida Stealer. The use of GitHub's trusted platform makes users more likely to click on malicious links within these repositories. Check Point Research uncovered this large-scale, organized scheme, marking it as the first documented instance of such a comprehensive operation on GitHub. Stargazer Goblin has been promoting this DaaS service on the dark web since June 2023, with evidence of activity dating back to August 2022. The network involves creating hundreds of repositories using these 3,000 fake accounts, with project names and tags tailored to attract specific interests such as cryptocurrency, gaming, and social media. Check Point also identified a YouTube video featuring a software tutorial that links to one of the Stargazers Ghost Network's GitHub repositories, suggesting that multiple channels may be used to drive traffic to phishing and malware distribution sites. In one attack chain, a GitHub repository directs users to a compromised WordPress site, from which they download a ZIP file containing an HTA file with embedded VBScript. Despite GitHub's removal of over 1,500 malicious repositories since May 2024, more than 200 continue to operate. Users should be cautious with downloads and links from GitHub repositories accessed via malvertising, Google searches, YouTube, Telegram, or social media. For added safety, users without access to virtual machines can scan protected archives with VirusTotal, provided the archives contain only one file.