FaceStealer: FBI says North Korea is targeting open-source developers
The US Justice Department has presented and disrupted an attack method called FaceStealer. It is allegedly North Korean and increasingly aimed at open-source developers.
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giftdetect· the right gift in minutesPeople who maintain open-source software have a new name to know: FaceStealer. The US Justice Department has presented an attack method under that name and says it has disrupted it. According to the FBI, the scheme is allegedly run from North Korea and is increasingly aimed at open-source developers.
The details released so far are thin. The authorities describe FaceStealer as a sophisticated attack approach, and the attribution to North Korea is stated as alleged rather than proven. What the attacks look like in practice, how many developers were hit and which projects were affected is not part of the material available here, so none of that is covered.
Why open-source developers?
The source does not spell out the motive. What it does say is that the focus on open-source developers is growing. Those developers write and maintain code that countless other programs rely on, which is one obvious reason an attacker might care about them, though the authorities' own reasoning has not been detailed.
What should developers do?
No specific protective steps were provided with the announcement. Developers who work on open-source projects should watch for further guidance from the Justice Department and the FBI, as more technical details on FaceStealer may follow.
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