North Korean cybercriminals target software developers with fake job interviews

According to Securonix researchers, suspected North Korean actors are attempting to trick software developers into downloading malware during fake job interviews.

The cybercriminals contact software developers with seemingly legitimate job opportunities before scheduling virtual job interviews.

“During these fraudulent interviews, developers are often asked to perform tasks that involve downloading and running software from sources that appear legitimate, such as GitHub,” researchers explain. “The software contained Node JS malware that, once executed, compromised the developer’s system.” If the respondent executes the software, it will install a custom remote access Trojan (RAT) written in Python.

“This method is effective because it exploits trust in the interview process, where refusing to perform the interviewer’s actions could compromise the job opportunity,” Securonix says. “Attackers tailor their approach to appear as credible as possible, often by mimicking real companies and replicating real interview processes. This appearance of professionalism and legitimacy creates a false sense of security, making it easier to attack without arousing suspicion.”

Securonix offers the following recommendations:

• “Raise awareness of the fact that people are targets of social engineering attacks in the same way that technology is exploitation. Maintaining extreme vigilance and continuous security, even during high-stress situations, is critical to preventing the problem altogether.”
• “Monitor the use of non-default languages and commands, such as Python.

More information on the securonix website