North Korean hackers release malware-ridden packages into npm registry

• Security researchers spotted 67 malicious packages on npm
• The packages are part of the Contagious Interview campaign
• They are most likely deployed by North Korean attackers

North Korean hackers have been seen pushing dozens of malicious packages to npm in an attempt to compromise western technology products through supply chain attacks.

Cybersecurity researchers Socket claim the latest push of 67 malicious packages is just the second leg of a previous attack, in which 35 packages were published, as part of a campaign called Contagious Interview.

"The Contagious Interview operation continues to follow a whack-a-mole dynamic, where defenders detect and report malicious packages, and North Korean threat actors quickly respond by uploading new variants using the same, similar, or slightly evolved playbooks," Socket researcher Kirill Boychenko said.