Reported by 6 outlets
FakeGit Campaign: 7,600 Malicious GitHub Repos Pushing SmartLoader/StealC Malware
Why this score
- Breadth
- 2.00 / 2.0 · 6 sources
- Authority
- 1.80 / 2.0 · best outlet weight
- Severity
- 1.20 / 5.0 · CVSS + content signals
- Velocity
- 0.00 / 2.0 · updates in 48h
- Pickup speed
- 0.00 / 0.6 · time to second source
- Recency
- × 0.09 temporal multiplier
- Community
- + 0.00 / 1.5 · reddit signal
- Score
- 0.4 / 10 = base × recency + community
Desk analysis
The FakeGit malware campaign has reactivated with 17,610 malicious GitHub repositories, according to deafnews.it reporting. The operation uses a re-aiming mechanism that bypasses traditional blocklist defenses by redirecting payload delivery to new repos, evading takedown efforts. The campaign pushes SmartLoader / StealC malware. Security teams should audit GitHub Actions and developer dependencies for unexpected workflow changes, enforce repository allowlists, and treat any unverified GitHub-hosted payload as high risk.
Timeline
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original reporting
FakeGit Campaign: 7,600 Malicious GitHub Repos Pushing SmartLoader/StealC Malware
bleepingcomputer.com · 84d ago · July 22nd, 2026
Researchers at Island (enterprise browser platform) uncovered FakeGit, a large-scale malware distribution campaign using 7,600 malicious GitHub repositories that accumulated over 14 million downloads. The campaign pushes SmartLoader and StealC malware.
Key tactics:
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800+ repositories pretended to be AI skills or MCP servers
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Repositories appeared 600+ times in public AI registries — a technique called "agentbaiting" targeting AI agents and developers
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Repositories imitate Gmail, WhatsApp, Databricks, Jenkins, Docker with convincing documentation, fabricated stars/fork counts, and real developer code
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Campaign is a continuation of an older operation attributed to threat actor "Water Kurita" (Trend Micro attribution)
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AI-focused repositories peaked in April 2026 with 300 new repos
Hunting hypothesis: Audit GitHub organizations for repositories with disproportionate star-to-commit ratios, AI/MCP-themed repos with suspicious binaries, and recently created accounts with large numbers of forked repos.
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update from any.run
#SmartLoader delivers additional payloads while gathering system information, establishing persistence, and maintaining C2 communication on
any.run · 15d ago · September 28th, 2026
SmartLoader delivers additional payloads while gathering system information, establishing persistence, and maintaining C2 communication on
via X https://any.run/malware-trends/smartloader/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=smartloader&utm_term=280926&utm_content=linktomtt
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update from bleepingcomputer.com
FakeGit malware campaign returns with 17,610 malicious GitHub repos
bleepingcomputer.com · 5d ago · October 8th, 2026
More than 17,000 fake repositories on GitHub are distributing the SmartLoader malware after the FakeGit campaign reactivated earlier this month to push the StealC infostealer. The operator uses mostly throwaway accounts, but researchers identified at least 700 accounts that appear to belong to legitimate developers. The malicious repositories use convincing README instructions with a download button pointing to a ZIP archive containing the initial payload, SmartLoader, that is used to distribute other malware. While similar activity with various payloads has been observed since at least January, the FakeGit term was associated with this operation in July, when researchers at enterprise browser platform Island published a report on 7,600 fake GitHub repositories pushing the SmartLoader malware. A new report from researchers at software supply-chain security platform Apiiro says that FakeGit resumed its activity on October 4 and now uses 17,610 repositories on GitHub. In just 34 hours, FakeGit pushed more than 13,000 repos, peaking at 2,999 an hour. "In the commits we sampled, 97% touched only the README, and 88% pointed its “Download” button at a ZIP that installs SmartLoader," Apiiro says. "Nobody had to create a single new repo. The fleet was already there. It just got re-aimed," the researchers added. According to the re
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update from fawkes.rocks
FakeGit returns with 17,610 malicious GitHub repos https:// fawkes.rocks/2026/10/08/fakegi t-returns-with-17610-malicious-github-repos/
fawkes.rocks · 5d ago · October 8th, 2026
FakeGit returns with 17,610 malicious GitHub repos https:// fawkes.rocks/2026/10/08/fakegi t-returns-with-17610-malicious-github-repos/
via Mastodon https://fawkes.rocks/2026/10/08/fakegit-returns-with-17610-malicious-github-repos/
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mentioned by www.bleepingcomputer.com
🤖 FakeGit campaign is back: 17,610 malicious GitHub repos distribute SmartLoader, which drops the StealC infostealer. Repos pose as cracked/
www.bleepingcomputer.com · 5d ago · October 8th, 2026
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mentioned by www.bleepingcomputer.com
FakeGit campaign returns with 17,610 malicious GitHub repos distributing SmartLoader and StealC
www.bleepingcomputer.com · 5d ago · October 9th, 2026
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mentioned by www.bleepingcomputer.com
🤖 FakeGit campaign is back: 17,610 malicious GitHub repos distributing SmartLoader, which drops the StealC infostealer. Attackers impersonat
www.bleepingcomputer.com · 4d ago · October 9th, 2026
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mentioned by www.it-connect.fr
FakeGit returns: 17,610 malicious GitHub repos pushing SmartLoader malware
www.it-connect.fr · 4d ago · October 9th, 2026
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update from apiiro.com
At 06:30 UTC on 4 October a script began re-pointing the READMEs of FakeGit, a fleet of fake GitHub repos serving SmartLoader. Apiiro counts
apiiro.com · 4d ago · October 9th, 2026
At 06:30 UTC on 4 October a script began re-pointing the READMEs of FakeGit, a fleet of fake GitHub repos serving SmartLoader.
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mentioned by www.bleepingcomputer.com
# FakeGit # malware campaign returns with 17,610 malicious # GitHub repos https://www. bleepingcomputer.com/news/secu rity/fakegit-malware-c
www.bleepingcomputer.com · 4d ago · October 9th, 2026
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update from deafnews.it
FakeGit malware campaign reactivates with 17,610 malicious GitHub repositories. Its re-aiming mechanism bypasses traditional blocklist defen
deafnews.it · 3d ago · October 10th, 2026
Its re-aiming mechanism bypasses traditional blocklist defen
via Mastodon https://deafnews.it/en/article/fakegit-hits-17610-github-repos-re-aiming-evades-takedowns