GitHub Actions and WordPress Plugins Fall Victim to Supply Chain Shenanigans: A Comedy of Errors in Cybersecurity

Hot Take:

Ah, the joys of modern technology! If you thought AI was only here to take your job, think again. It’s also helping hackers streamline their villainy. Who needs a weekend getaway when you can spend it backdooring tens of thousands of software supply chains, right? It’s like the ultimate staycation for the cybercriminally inclined!

Key Points:

• Armis Labs uncovers supply chain exploits in GitHub, WordPress, and npm tools.
• GitHub Action “reviewdog/action-setup@v1” was compromised, affecting up to 23,000 repositories.
• Malicious code injected into popular npm library “UAParser.js”.
• WordPress plugin “Gravity Forms” had backdoor code in versions 2.9.11 and 2.9.12.
• AI’s role in proliferating supply chain risks is on the rise.

GitHub: The “Git” of the Problem

GitHub Actions, the beloved tool for automation in the world of development, became the stage for a cyber drama reminiscent of a Shakespearean tragedy. Between November 2024 and March 2025, cyber baddies swapped the version tag of “reviewdog/action-setup@v1” with their own malevolent code. Like sneaky shadow puppets, they gained access to a personal access token (PAT) and manipulated the action’s index.js file. And voila! Up to 23,000 repositories were unknowingly enrolled in their sinister program. Thankfully, the issue has since been resolved, but not before causing quite a hullabaloo.

JavaScript: From Parser to Pranked

In the world of JavaScript, “UAParser.js” was the unsuspecting target of another cyber escapade. This widely used library, adored by UI/UX designers and SaaS vendors alike, was poisoned by hackers who got their grubby hands on developer credentials. By inserting malicious code into versions 0.7.29, 0.8.0, and 1.0.0, they ensured that anyone installing it via npm could unknowingly execute malware. It’s like ordering a pizza and getting an unexpected topping of malware. Yikes!

WordPress: The Gravity of the Situation

Not to be left out of the action, WordPress users got their own taste of cyber mischief when attackers planted backdoor code into the popular “Gravity Forms” plugin. Versions 2.9.11 and 2.9.12 were the culprits, leaving between 655,000 and 930,000 websites vulnerable to attack. Thankfully, the vendor, Rocketgenius, swiftly released version 2.9.13 to patch the hole. But it goes to show, even your trusty form builder might be plotting against you!

AI: The Unwanted Collaborator

Now, let’s talk about our favorite misunderstood genius: artificial intelligence. AI has become the unwitting accomplice in the rise of supply chain attacks. As Michael Freeman from Armis Labs points out, AI-generated code can introduce vulnerabilities faster than you can say “Oops!” It’s a double-edged sword, as threat actors leverage AI to create “vibe coding” scenarios where poorly written code becomes the training data for future AI models. The result? Even more insecure code, brought to you by your friendly neighborhood AI bot.

The Weekend Warrior’s Dream

In the past, a threat actor might have needed months or even years to backdoor open-source software libraries. But thanks to AI, cybercriminals can now achieve the same in a weekend. Freeman warns of the rise of “slopsquatting,” where AI’s hallucinations of nonexistent dependencies allow hackers to create real packages with Trojanized code. It’s like a hacker’s dream come true: a weekend project that results in thousands of compromised software supply chains. Bon voyage!

In conclusion, the world of software supply chains is more treacherous than ever, with AI inadvertently lending a helping hand to those with nefarious intentions. As defenders scramble to keep up, one can only hope that AI will eventually become part of the solution rather than the problem. Until then, keep your software updated, your code secure, and your weekends hacker-free!