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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2025-03-16 18:43:06.968
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Fake "Security Alert" issues on GitHub use OAuth app to hijack accounts. A widespread phishing campaign has targeted nearly 12,000 GitHub repositories with fake "Security Alert" issues, tricking developers into authorizing a malicious OAuth app that grants attackers full control over their accounts and code. "Security Alert: Unusual Access Attempt We have detected a login attempt on your GitHub account that appears to be from a new location or device," reads the GitHub phishing issue. All of the GitHub phishing issues contain the same text, warning users that their was unusual activity on their account from Reykjavik, Iceland, and the 53.253.117.8 IP address. Cybersecurity researcher Luc4m first spotted the fake security alert, which warned GitHub users that their account was breached and that they should update their password, review and manage active sessions, and enable two-factor authentication to secure their accounts. However, all of the links for these recommended actions lead to a GitHub authorization page for a "gitsecurityapp" OAuth app that requests a lot of very risky permissions (scopes) and would allow an attacker full access to a user's account and repositories. The requested permissions and the access they provide are listed below: If a GitHub user logs in and authorizes the malicious OAuth app, an access token will generated and sent back to the app's callback address, which in this campaign has been various web pages hosted on onrender.com (Render). The phishing campaign started this morning at 6:52 AM ET and is ongoing, with almost 12,000 repositories targeted in the attack. However, the number fluctuates, indicating that GitHub is likely responding to the attack. If you were impacted by this phishing attack and mistakenly gave authorization to the malicious OAuth app, you should immediately revoke its access by going into the GitHub Settings and then Applications. From the Applications screen, revoke access to any GitHub Apps or OAuth apps that are unfamiliar or suspicious. In this campaign, you should look for apps named similarly to 'gitsecurityapp.' You should then look for new or unexpected GitHub Actions (Workflows) and whether private gists were created. Finally, rotate your credentials and authorization tokens. BleepingComputer contacted GitHub about the phishing campaign and will udpate this story when we get a response. Top 10 MITRE ATT&CK© Techniques Behind 93% of Attacks Based on an analysis of 14M malicious actions, discover the top 10 MITRE ATT&CK techniques behind 93% of attacks and how to defend against them.
Daily Brief Summary
A sophisticated phishing campaign targeted approximately 12,000 GitHub repositories using fraudulent "Security Alert" notifications.
Attackers deceived users into granting a malicious OAuth app extensive permissions, potentially gaining complete control over affected GitHub accounts and repositories.
The phishing messages claimed unusual account access from Reykjavik, Iceland, prompting users to secure their accounts through provided links.
Links directed victims to authorize the "gitsecurityapp" OAuth app, misleadingly requesting permissions under the guise of security enhancements.
This campaign was first noticed early in the morning and is still underway, indicating active management and response from GitHub to mitigate its effects.
Victims are advised to immediately revoke any suspicious app permissions in their GitHub settings and to review and adjust security settings like passwords and tokens.
Ongoing monitoring by cybersecurity communities and GitHub reflects growing concerns over sophisticated phishing techniques leveraging OAuth.