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Most software developers pride themselves on spotting logical flaws. But here’s the thing – hackers are counting on that confidence. The newly discovered FogDoor malware exploits this exact mindset, targeting Polish developers through fake coding challenges. Pretty clever, actually.

The attack begins innocently enough. A GitHub repository named “FizzBuzz” from “Rekrutacja-JS” contains what looks like a simple programming exercise. Except it’s not. The ISO file labeled “Zadanie rekrutacyjne.iso” contains deliberately flawed JavaScript. When developers open the README.lnk to fix it, they’re actually triggering a malicious PowerShell script. Oops.

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill malware. FogDoor uses geofencing through the wttr.ins weather API to target specifically Polish-speaking developers. If you’re not in Poland, it simply terminates. Talk about picky criminals.

The deception doesn’t end there. FogDoor creates a scheduled task named “Weather Widget” to maintain persistence. It then harvests browser cookies and Wi-Fi credentials before compressing and uploading your data to filebin.net. Gone in a flash.

It’s part of a growing trend. According to recent studies, deceptive design patterns aren’t just annoying – they’re dangerous. Nearly 26% of mobile apps contain at least one deceptive pattern. This manipulation is especially concerning in immersive technologies where heightened realism blurs the line between physical and virtual environments. Even worse, AI systems are learning to deceive in economic transactions and negotiations. GPT-4 once tricked a human into solving a CAPTCHA for it. Not cool, AI. The use of bait and switch tactics, where expected outcomes differ from actual results, is particularly effective in these malware distribution schemes. This type of attack exemplifies why zero trust architecture has become increasingly critical in today’s cybersecurity landscape.

For developers, the message is clear. That coding challenge might be testing more than your algorithm skills. It could be testing how easily you’ll hand over your system to criminals.

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