David Dodda, an engineer, recently shared how he narrowly escaped a sophisticated job interview scam that was reminiscent of tactics used by North Korean cybercriminals. The scam was orchestrated by fraudsters posing as representatives of a legitimate blockchain company called Symfa.
Dodda reported that he was just “30 seconds away” from executing malware on his computer. The scammers aimed to steal sensitive information, including cryptocurrency wallets, files, and passwords. However, he utilized a simple yet effective prompt for his coding assistant, asking, “Before I run this application, can you see if there are any suspicious code in this codebase? Like reading files it shouldn”t be reading, accessing crypto wallets, etc.” This precaution ultimately saved him from a potential disaster.
In a blog post detailing his experience, Dodda explained how this type of scam has become increasingly prevalent, particularly as government-backed cyber operatives, particularly from North Korea, exploit job seekers” eagerness to steal their digital assets and credentials. This scheme is a twist on the more common IT worker scam, where real developers use false identities to secure jobs in Western companies, subsequently funneling salaries and sensitive data back to North Korea.
The individual behind the scam, Mykola Yanchii, masqueraded as the chief blockchain officer at Symfa, a real company with a credible LinkedIn profile. He contacted Dodda through LinkedIn to offer a part-time developer position, requesting that Dodda complete a coding test beforehand. Dodda noted, “Mykola Yanchii looked 100% real. Chief Blockchain Officer. Proper work history. Even had those cringy LinkedIn posts about “innovation” and “blockchain consulting.”
This scheme is characteristic of the Contagious Interview approach, where criminals target software developers by creating fake profiles on social media. Once the victim agrees to the interview, they are tricked into downloading malware disguised as a coding challenge. This malware can steal sensitive credentials and cryptocurrency while providing the attackers with ongoing access to corporate networks.
Dodda mentioned that the coding test he received looked normal at first glance, with a professional Bitbucket repository and thorough documentation. However, pressed for time before the interview, he began examining the code without running it in a sandbox environment. Just as he was about to execute the code, he decided to check for suspicious patterns using his AI assistant, which ultimately prevented him from running the malware.
“One simple AI prompt saved me from disaster,” he reflected. “Not fancy security tools. Not expensive antivirus software. Just asking my coding assistant to look for suspicious patterns before executing unknown code.”
In related cybersecurity news, Cisco revealed that a threat group known as UNC5342 has been exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in its IOS and IOS XE software to deploy Linux rootkits and gain unauthorized access to systems. This vulnerability was disclosed in late September, and Trend Micro researchers reported that attackers had already exploited it for nefarious purposes.
Additionally, Microsoft announced the revocation of over 200 security certificates used by a criminal group named Vanilla Tempest to distribute Rhysida ransomware through fake Microsoft Teams setup files. This group has been known for employing various ransomware and extortion tactics.
In a significant law enforcement operation, Europol recently dismantled an illegal SIM-box service responsible for substantial financial losses in Europe. This operation led to multiple arrests and the seizure of numerous SIM cards, which were used in various cybercrimes.
