New financially motivated threat actor JINX-0164 exploits LinkedIn social engineering and CI/CD infrastructure to target cryptocurrency developers with custom macOS malware. Active since mid-2025, the group successfully executed supply chain attacks via compromised npm packages.
Campaign breakdown:
• Initial access via fake LinkedIn recruiter profiles offering meetings on spoofed conferencing platforms
• AUDIOFIX Python-based macOS infostealer targets 51 crypto wallet extensions, SSH keys, AWS/GCP credentials, and session tokens
• CI/CD hijacking through developer impersonation in Git commits, injecting malware into internal repositories (T1195.002)
• Supply chain attack: trojanized
@velora-dex/sdk v4.9.1 on npm delivered MINIRAT Go backdoor
• C2 infrastructure uses datahub[.]ink, cloud-sync[.]online, byte-io[.]us with AES-256-CBC encryption
DFIR artifacts:
• XOR-encoded passwords in ~/.zsh_cache indicate successful credential phishing
• LaunchAgent persistence as
com.microsoft.teams.coreaudiod or
com.apple.Terminal.profiler
• Unverified Git commit badges in GitHub Vigilant Mode expose developer impersonation
• Clipboard monitoring logs with timestamps in malware working directory
Hunt for unsigned binaries masquerading as system processes (coreaudiod, ChromeUpdater) with outbound HTTPS to low-reputation domains. Monitor npm package modifications and Git commits with mismatched author/committer fields.
#DFIR_Radar