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submitted 1 week ago by Xylight@lemdro.id to c/linux@lemmy.ml

On the 16th of July, at around 8pm UTC+2, a malicious AUR package was uploaded to the AUR. Two other malicious packages were uploaded by the same user a few hours later. These packages were installing a script coming from the same GitHub repository that was identified as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT).

The affected malicious packages are:

  • librewolf-fix-bin
  • firefox-patch-bin
  • zen-browser-patched-bin

The Arch Linux team addressed the issue as soon as they became aware of the situation. As of today, 18th of July, at around 6pm UTC+2, the offending packages have been deleted from the AUR.

We strongly encourage users that may have installed one of these packages to remove them from their system and to take the necessary measures in order to ensure they were not compromised.

Follow up

There are more packages with this malware found.

  • minecraft-cracked
  • ttf-ms-fonts-all
  • vesktop-bin-patched
  • ttf-all-ms-fonts

What to do

If you installed any of these packages, check your running processes for one named systemd-initd (this is the RAT).

The suspicious packages have a patch from this now-inaccessible Codeberg repo: https://codeberg.org/arch_lover3/browser-patch

The Arch maintainers have been informed of all this already and are investigating.

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[-] Jolteon@lemmy.zip 45 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

To be fair the AUR is known to be very susceptible to that kind of thing due to the effective absence of entry requirements.

[-] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 27 points 6 days ago

Absolutely.

The Arch User Repository is a way for anyone to easily distribite software.

Hence it has never been secure, and rather than claim it is, you mostly see people and documentation warn you about this, and to be careful if using it.

Any schmuck can make whatever they want available via the AUR. That's how even the tiniest niche project can often be installed via the AUR. But you trade in some security for that convenience.

[-] derpgon@programming.dev 26 points 6 days ago

It shouldn't be used as a marketplace, it should be used as a repository. You can probably find a lot of malware on GitHub, doesn't mean you go there to choose your text editor.

I never search the AUR directly, I only use it if some README tells me I can install their software via an AUR package.

[-] Dima@feddit.uk 13 points 6 days ago

Yeah, I search the AUR not to discover packages, but to see if something I want to install is in there, if it is I check the PKGBUILD and make sure none of the sources/commands/patches are suspicious.
People need to remember it's not some carefully vetted app store and that they need to be the ones vetting any packages they install and any changes when updating.

[-] hobbsc@lemmy.sdf.org 45 points 6 days ago
[-] lagoon8622@sh.itjust.works 16 points 6 days ago

This is technically not Arch's fault btw. I use Arch but don't use AUR for this reason

[-] daggermoon@lemmy.world 16 points 6 days ago

Also same problem adding random PPA's on Debian and Ubuntu.

[-] lagoon8622@sh.itjust.works 18 points 6 days ago

Agreed. Or piping random curl things into sh. Or downloading random exes on Windows etc

[-] hobbsc@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 6 days ago

it was a joke. perhaps a /s was warranted. it could happen in any package manager/repo and I'd be surprised if it hasn't yet.

[-] lagoon8622@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 days ago

Oh definitely, I wasn't trying to correct you or anything. Just having conversation

[-] balsoft@lemmy.ml 1 points 5 days ago

It has already happened a few times with other repos. Although AUR is especially susceptible because there's no vetting at all, it's a free-for-all that everyone can publish to within a few clicks. This will for sure happen again within a couple months, but better hidden the next time.

[-] HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org 33 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

The affected malicious packages are:

  • librewolf-fix-bin
  • firefox-patch-bin
  • zen-browser-patched-bin

What a nice attack on privacy-friendly infrastructure.

And then, Arch AUR has such suspicious things like the Brave browser which claims to reduce tracking.... and works together with advertisers.

To be clear, AUR is fantastic if you develop some experimental package and you want to give it to your friends to try it out easily. But not as a general distribution mechanism.

[-] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 30 points 6 days ago

We are getting to the point where inviting more people in means we will need an automated babysitter to watch for this shit and to pull it once it’s discovered. Apple has a walled garden approach that’s certainly taken a big chunk of malware threats out of their devices but their walled garden approach is ridiculous and impractical for Linux. The Microsoft method of monitoring and second guessing everything with antimalware programs is also suspect because it is super easy to abuse and resource intensive. We have clamAV but clam kinda sucks.

Linux is at the point where we need something that audits what’s going in and automatically yanks it back out remotely if it’s found to be a problem. Things can only be added by the user, but the bot can remove them without interaction of the user.

I don’t see this happening though. Instead, I see this as more of a rust vs C thing all over again, where valid critiques are drowned out by “improve your skills bro.”

[-] mazzilius_marsti@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago

Heard OpenSuse has OpenQA - apparently it is like an automatic test tool for packages.

[-] redxef@feddit.org 9 points 5 days ago

To check your system for those packages (assuming you are using bash):

comm -1 -2 <(pacman -Q | awk '{print $1}' | sort) <(sort vulnerable_packages.txt)

With vulnerable_packages.txt containing one package name per line.

[-] mazzilius_marsti@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago

the firefox, zen browser and libre wolf packages are concerning. The ttf ms font too. Those are very normal apps and unless you pay attention to the package name when doing "pacman -Syu", you would fall for the malware.

If only we can compartmentalize all AUR packages. The download AUR sources iirc are already in something like $HOME/.paru. Installing is a different story, because these packages can put their executable all over the places: /usr/local/bin, $HOME/local/bin.

[-] Cyber@feddit.uk 6 points 5 days ago

With respect, you wouldn't install these by just doing an update, so pacman -Syu is fine.

You would have needed to install these manually, or a package that depended on them - both from AUR - so you'd also need to use yay (etc) to install them.

But - I totally agree with your points that tge names look innocent enough for someone to install those over other packages.

Always look at the AUR (website) at the package details - if it's new(ish) and has 0 or 1 votes, then be suspicious.

[-] Cysioland@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 5 days ago

If only we can compartmentalize all AUR packages

at this point you'll be reinventing Flatpak

[-] AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip 10 points 6 days ago

minecraft-cracked

Gotta assume that if any Arch users actually fell for that one, that they either let their kids use their device or they're generally not smart ( which absolutely goes against my stereotypical view of an arch user ).

[-] pfr@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 6 days ago

The stereotype of arch uses generally being smart is no longer. The "I use arch btw" meme brought a whole new user base to arch. You'll find them on r/unixporn showing off their hyperland rice that they copied from some other user..

[-] moseschrute@lemmy.ml 9 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I had no idea that existed but I’ve just returned from r/unixporn. There are some sick setups. Also we all copy. My entire neovim config is copied and modified from a couple dozen setups I admired. Nothing wrong with copying things you like. Don’t gate keep Linux.

However… Minecraft cracked is pretty funny lol.

[-] lattrommi@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 days ago

I agree that gatekeeping is no good and people should not do that.

However...

we all copy

I do not feel that assuming all people copy, should be done either, in my opinion.

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[-] HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org 9 points 6 days ago

Wait what happens once some government or state actor hacks rust's install script rustup with its curl | bash install procedure and relying on TLS certificates which are e.g. issued by the Russian government. (No, the rust project won't use a Russian/Chinese/US Gov certificate but your browser will trust near all of them...)

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[-] teawrecks@sopuli.xyz 5 points 6 days ago

Why are they called "patched" and "fix" and who is installing them?

[-] oo1@lemmings.world 6 points 6 days ago

I already assumed aur was riddled with stuff like that.

Use a condom when fucking around in there.

[-] Ulrich@feddit.org 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

The affected malicious packages are:

librewolf-fix-bin firefox-patch-bin zen-browser-patched-bin

So...did someone just like create a new package cloning these or did they somehow get into the "official" repository? Is there no attestation process?

[-] forbiddenlake@lemmy.world 35 points 6 days ago

Aur is completely user controlled, it is not official and not trusted. Someone just decided to use those names and upload something.

[-] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 8 points 6 days ago

To be clear, when projects distribute their software via the aur, someone else can't just issue an update using their package name.

This person appended "fix" and "patched" to appear in searches next to legitimate packages, and seem worth installing instead.

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this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2025
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