Cybersecurity
FakeGit campaign returns with 17,610 GitHub repos
Apiiro said FakeGit restarted on 4 October, used 17,610 GitHub repositories and directed download links to SmartLoader, while earlier activity had also pushed the StealC infostealer.
- Apiiro said FakeGit restarted on 4 October and was using 17,610 GitHub repositories.
- The researchers said the campaign pushed more than 13,000 repositories in 34 hours and peaked at 2,999 an hour.
- The repositories used README instructions and download buttons that led to ZIP archives containing SmartLoader.
- Island had reported in July on 7,600 fake GitHub repositories, including 800 that pretended to be AI skills or MCP servers.
On 4 October, Apiiro said, the FakeGit operation resumed and was using 17,610 GitHub repositories. The researchers said more than 13,000 repositories were pushed in 34 hours, with activity peaking at 2,999 an hour.
The repositories used README files that directed visitors to ZIP archives containing SmartLoader, which was used to distribute other malware. Apiiro said the operator relied mostly on throwaway accounts, although at least 700 accounts appeared to belong to legitimate developers.
The report said similar activity had been seen since at least January, and Island used the FakeGit label in July after reporting 7,600 fake GitHub repositories. Island said 800 of those posed as AI skills or MCP servers in public registries and catalogues.
Apiiro said the operation persisted because deletion efforts reached only part of the infrastructure, while backups, forks and other copies stayed available. The researchers advised checking repository ownership, using official sources for AI-related tools, and treating suspected SmartLoader execution as a possible GitHub account compromise.
Named in this story
Companies
- GitHub
- the platform hosting the fake repositories
- Island
- published the July report on 7,600 fake repositories
- Apiiro
- published the later report on the resumed activity
Organisations
- FakeGit
- the campaign name for the repository operation
- URLhaus
- the blocklist Apiiro said had missed much of the fleet
Products and systems
- SmartLoader
- the initial malware payload delivered by the repositories
- StealC
- the infostealer that the campaign had pushed earlier in the month
How the source tells it
The piece was mostly plain and technical, with urgency coming from the 34-hour burst of activity and the defensive guidance at the end.
- urgency uses a 34-hour surge in activity and action-oriented remediation advice