903

The new Chinese owner of the popular Polyfill JS project injects malware into more than 100 thousand sites (sansec.io)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by 0x815@feddit.org to c/technology@lemmy.world

116 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The polyfill.js is a popular open source library to support older browsers. 100K+ sites embed it using the cdn.polyfill.io domain. Notable users are JSTOR, Intuit and World Economic Forum. However, in February this year, a Chinese company bought the domain and the Github account. Since then, this domain was caught injecting malware on mobile devices via any site that embeds cdn.polyfill.io. Any complaints were quickly removed (archive here) from the Github repository.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] LodeMike@lemmy.today 44 points 5 months ago

What's the malware do?

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 23 points 5 months ago

Frustrating that the article doesn't specify and simply links to a different Github page which doesn't clearly specify the problem either.

I have to assume the site's article was dynamically generated, without any actual tech journalist doing the reporting. The byline is "Sansec Forensics Team" which doesn't even link out to the group. Also, the "Chinese Company" isn't named either it the article or the references, which is incredibly shoddy reporting. The archive link is dead.

This whole page is indicative of the failed state of tech journalism. A genuinely explosive story but its so threadbare and vague that it becomes meaningless.

[-] sorter_plainview@lemmy.today 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

The site is Sansec. They uncovered it. They also specify how the malware redirects users to sports betting sites.

[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 20 points 5 months ago

Makes you hungry an hour later.

[-] LodeMike@lemmy.today 12 points 5 months ago

Ah frick

[-] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 4 points 5 months ago

Selective advertising redirects

[-] LodeMike@lemmy.today 2 points 5 months ago

Of course it does.

this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2024

903 points (98.9% liked)

Technology

59648 readers

1483 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS