North Korean Cyber Threats Disrupt IT Hiring
North Korean cyber actors have developed a sophisticated strategy involving fake IT job recruitment to infiltrate companies. This operation, active since 2022, uses malware to compromise systems during fraudulent technical interviews.
Malware Deployed During Fake Interviews
These threat actors, posing as credible recruiters, engage software developers in mock interviews. During these sessions, they trick applicants into executing malicious code, leveraging malware like BeaverTail and OtterCookie. This allows them to extract sensitive information, seize control of devices, and conduct financial and identity theft.
The campaign, known as Contagious Interview, has targeted thousands of developers and continues to expand. By creating convincing recruiter profiles on professional networking platforms, the attackers manipulate victims into executing code under the pretense of a technical challenge. Once initiated, the malware operates covertly in the background.
Infiltration and Economic Impact
In addition to fake interviews, North Korean operatives have secured positions within Western tech firms using fraudulent identities. Their earnings are allegedly directed towards funding the North Korean regime.
In 2025, GitLab identified and deactivated 131 accounts linked to these operations. Activity peaked in September, with an average of 11 bans per month. Notably, the malware was rarely hosted directly on GitLab; rather, actors used hidden loaders to retrieve payloads from third-party services like Vercel, complicating detection efforts.
Techniques for Concealment and Execution
The malware’s execution frequently involved dispersing malicious code across multiple project files, complicating detection even during thorough code reviews. Attackers embedded staging URLs in .env files, masquerading as standard configuration variables.
Upon running the project, a trigger function would download remote content, executing it via a custom error handler using JavaScript’s Function constructor method. Additionally, staging URLs returned decoy content unless specific request headers were present, further obscuring analysis.
In December 2025, analysts observed new tactics involving malware execution through VS Code task configurations, hiding payloads within fake font files.
Protective Measures and Recommendations
Organizations are advised to scrutinize job applicants lacking professional profiles or code portfolios. Developers should refrain from running unfamiliar code from unknown sources during technical assessments. Security teams must monitor for encoded values in .env files and unexpected outbound requests during application startups.
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