Cybercriminals have found a new avenue for distributing malware by misusing the popular open-source game development platform, Godot Engine, in a campaign known as GodLoader. This malware operation has infected over 17,000 systems since at least June 2024, targeting devices across Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. By exploiting the flexibility of Godot’s scripting language, GDScript, attackers execute malicious commands and deliver harmful payloads, demonstrating the growing trend of leveraging legitimate software for nefarious purposes.
The GodLoader campaign employs the Stargazers Ghost Network, a collection of over 200 GitHub repositories and 225 fake accounts, to distribute malware. These repositories are deceptively designed, using a technique where the accounts “star” malicious repositories to create an appearance of credibility. The malware uses Godot executables, specifically .PCK files, to deploy its loader, which downloads secondary payloads like the RedLine Stealer and XMRig cryptocurrency miner from Bitbucket repositories. This multi-stage approach allows attackers to maintain a high level of stealth while delivering versatile malware.
A notable aspect of GodLoader is its advanced evasion mechanisms. The malware avoids detection by sandboxed and virtual environments, while also modifying Microsoft Defender Antivirus settings to exclude the entire C:\ drive, ensuring its persistence on infected systems. Although the campaign primarily targets Windows machines, the cross-platform architecture of Godot makes it trivial for attackers to adapt the malware to other operating systems, including macOS and Linux. Analysts warn that this technique could evolve further, with attackers potentially tampering with legitimate Godot-built games to spread malware.
This campaign underscores the persistent threat of cybercriminals exploiting trusted platforms to broaden their attack surface. Experts emphasize the importance of securing software distribution through robust measures like public-key cryptography, which can prevent unauthorized modifications to legitimate applications. As attackers continue to innovate, users are advised to download software only from trusted sources and implement layered security defenses to protect against these sophisticated threats.
