A highly-targeted social engineering campaign has been revealed as the cause of the recent supply chain compromise of the Axios npm package.

According to Axios maintainer Jason Saayman, the attackers, tracked as UNC1069 and believed to be of North Korean origin, tailored their social engineering efforts specifically to target him.

The attackers initially approached Saayman under the guise of the founder of a company, attempting to gain his trust and ultimately gain access to the Axios package.

This incident highlights the importance of vigilance and security awareness among maintainers of popular open-source packages, as they are increasingly being targeted by threat actors seeking to exploit their positions to carry out supply chain attacks.

The UNC1069 group has been linked to various malicious activities in the past, and this latest incident demonstrates their continued focus on using social engineering tactics to achieve their goals.

As the use of open-source packages continues to grow, it is essential for maintainers and users alike to be aware of the potential risks and take steps to mitigate them, including implementing robust security measures and being cautious when interacting with unfamiliar individuals or organizations.

Source: Original Article