Mustang Panda Strikes with Weaponized VS Code: A Developer’s Nightmare
Mustang Panda weaponized a known exploit in Visual Studio Code, Microsoft’s popular source code editor, to execute a sophisticated espionage attack. This Chinese state-aligned group leveraged the VS Code “Tunnel” feature, turning it into a reverse shell to infiltrate a government entity in Southeast Asia.
Hot Take:
Looks like VS Code’s new feature is making hackers giddy with excitement, turning the beloved editor into a sneaky espionage tool. Maybe next time, Microsoft should consider adding a “No Spy Mode” to their features list.
Key Points:
- Chinese espionage group Mustang Panda weaponized a VS Code exploit.
- The exploit leverages the “Tunnel” feature in VS Code for remote access.
- Attackers can use GitHub credentials to gain unauthorized access.
- Organizations are advised to limit or block VS Code use for non-developers.
- A second overlapping attack involved Microsoft’s Input Method Editor with a ShadowPad backdoor.
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