On the 16th of July, at around 8pm UTC+2, a malicious AUR package was uploaded to the AUR. Two other malicious packages were uploaded by the same user a few hours later. These packages were installing a script coming from the same GitHub repository that was identified as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT).

The affected malicious packages are:

  • librewolf-fix-bin
  • firefox-patch-bin
  • zen-browser-patched-bin

The Arch Linux team addressed the issue as soon as they became aware of the situation. As of today, 18th of July, at around 6pm UTC+2, the offending packages have been deleted from the AUR.

We strongly encourage users that may have installed one of these packages to remove them from their system and to take the necessary measures in order to ensure they were not compromised.

Follow up

There are more packages with this malware found.

  • minecraft-cracked
  • ttf-ms-fonts-all
  • vesktop-bin-patched
  • ttf-all-ms-fonts

What to do

If you installed any of these packages, check your running processes for one named systemd-initd (this is the RAT).

The suspicious packages have a patch from this now-inaccessible Codeberg repo: https://codeberg.org/arch_lover3/browser-patch

The Arch maintainers have been informed of all this already and are investigating.

  • pfr@lemmy.sdf.org
    9·
    1 day ago

    The stereotype of arch uses generally being smart is no longer. The “I use arch btw” meme brought a whole new user base to arch. You’ll find them on r/unixporn showing off their hyperland rice that they copied from some other user…

    • moseschrute@lemmy.mlEnglish
      9·
      1 day ago

      I had no idea that existed but I’ve just returned from r/unixporn. There are some sick setups. Also we all copy. My entire neovim config is copied and modified from a couple dozen setups I admired. Nothing wrong with copying things you like. Don’t gate keep Linux.

      However… Minecraft cracked is pretty funny lol.

      • lattrommi@lemmy.mlEnglish
        2·
        23 hours ago

        I agree that gatekeeping is no good and people should not do that.

        However…

        we all copy

        I do not feel that assuming all people copy, should be done either, in my opinion.

        • pfr@lemmy.sdf.org
          2·
          19 hours ago

          I never said there was anything wrong with copying. I was simply pointing out a stereotype.

          • lattrommi@lemmy.mlEnglish
            1·
            2 hours ago

            I don’t know if there is a word for what I was trying to point out.

            Like an opposite to gatekeeping, sort of.

            I do not like when people use ‘we’, in ways that include people that it does not apply to. Lumping everyone together inaccurately into a group.