Menu

  • Alerts
  • Incidents
  • News
  • APTs
  • Cyber Decoded
  • Cyber Hygiene
  • Cyber Review
  • Cyber Tips
  • Definitions
  • Malware
  • Threat Actors
  • Tutorials

Useful Tools

  • Password generator
  • Report an incident
  • Report to authorities
No Result
View All Result
CTF Hack Havoc
CyberMaterial
  • Education
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Definitions
  • Information
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
  • Insights
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Tips
    • Tutorials
  • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Report an incident
  • About
    • About Us
    • Advertise with us
Get Help
Hall of Hacks
  • Education
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Definitions
  • Information
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
  • Insights
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Tips
    • Tutorials
  • Support
    • Contact Us
    • Report an incident
  • About
    • About Us
    • Advertise with us
Get Help
No Result
View All Result
Hall of Hacks
CyberMaterial
No Result
View All Result
Home Alerts

Hackers Execute PyPI Malware Campaign

September 1, 2023
Reading Time: 2 mins read
in Alerts

North Korean state-sponsored hackers have been identified as the culprits behind a malicious campaign known as VMConnect, which involved the upload of harmful packages to the PyPI (Python Package Index) repository.

One of these packages masqueraded as the VMware vSphere connector module vConnector. The campaign was executed by a subgroup of the North Korean Lazarus hackers known as Labyrinth Chollima, as revealed by a report from ReversingLabs, a software supply chain security company.

These malicious packages were introduced into the PyPI repository in early August, with one named VMConnect particularly targeting IT professionals in search of virtualization tools. Although the VMConnect package was eventually removed from PyPI, it had already garnered 237 downloads.

In addition, two more packages named ‘ethter’ and ‘quantiumbase’ were downloaded 253 and 216 times respectively, and these packages were identified as containing the same code.

The hackers behind the campaign deployed various tactics, including creating packages like ‘tablediter’ and ‘requestspro’ that mimicked legitimate software projects. By appending terms like “plus” and “pro” to the package names, the hackers aimed to make them appear as enhanced versions of well-known software.

These malicious packages featured minimal content differences from their legitimate counterparts, but these differences were primarily in the “init.py” file, which executed a malicious function designed to gather data from infected machines.

Furthermore, the attackers used a sophisticated process to exfiltrate the stolen data. After collecting information from infected machines, the data was sent to command and control (C2) servers via a POST HTTP request. The servers responded with an obfuscated Python module that included execution parameters and a download URL for the next payload stage.

While the full scope of the campaign remains challenging to assess due to the C2 server’s behavior, ReversingLabs researchers have gathered enough evidence to link the VMConnect campaign to the North Korean Lazarus APT group, indicating their involvement in this complex cyber operation.

Source:
  • North Korean Hackers Deploy New Malicious Python Packages in PyPI Repository
  • VMConnect supply chain attack continues, evidence points to North Korea
  • North Korean hackers behind malicious VMConnect PyPI campaign
Tags: AlertsAlerts 2023CyberattackCybersecurityLazarus APTLazarus APT groupMalwareNorth KoreaPyPIPython Package IndexSeptember 2023VMConnectVMware vSphereVulnerabilities
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

Russian APT28 Deploys Outlook Backdoor

SAP S4hana Exploited Vulnerability

September 5, 2025
Russian APT28 Deploys Outlook Backdoor

Virustotal Finds Undetected SVG Files

September 5, 2025
Russian APT28 Deploys Outlook Backdoor

Russian APT28 Deploys Outlook Backdoor

September 5, 2025
Lazarus Hackers Exploit ZeroDay, Deploy Rats

Lazarus Hackers Exploit ZeroDay, Deploy Rats

September 4, 2025
Lazarus Hackers Exploit ZeroDay, Deploy Rats

CISA Flags TP Link Router Flaws

September 4, 2025
Lazarus Hackers Exploit ZeroDay, Deploy Rats

Google Patches 120 Flaws In Android

September 4, 2025

Latest Alerts

SAP S4hana Exploited Vulnerability

Virustotal Finds Undetected SVG Files

Russian APT28 Deploys Outlook Backdoor

CISA Flags TP Link Router Flaws

Lazarus Hackers Exploit ZeroDay, Deploy Rats

Google Patches 120 Flaws In Android

Subscribe to our newsletter

    Latest Incidents

    North Korean Hackers Fake Interviews

    Bridgestone Confirms Cyberattack

    Cybersecurity Firms Hit By Breach

    Salesloft Drift Attacks Hits Vendors

    Jaguar Land Rover Hit By Cyber Incident

    Hackers Use Grok Ai To Spread Malware

    CyberMaterial Logo
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Jobs
    • Legal and Privacy Policy
    • Site Map

    © 2025 | CyberMaterial | All rights reserved

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password?

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In

    Add New Playlist

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Alerts
    • Incidents
    • News
    • Cyber Decoded
    • Cyber Hygiene
    • Cyber Review
    • Definitions
    • Malware
    • Cyber Tips
    • Tutorials
    • Advanced Persistent Threats
    • Threat Actors
    • Report an incident
    • Password Generator
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us

    Copyright © 2025 CyberMaterial