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Fake PS5 emulators on GitHub steal passwords, NordVPN researchers say
NordVPN's threat team said GitHub repos posing as PS5 emulators install infostealer malware that dodges Microsoft Defender, Engadget reported.
Fake PlayStation 5 emulator projects on GitHub are being used to deliver password-stealing malware, according to NordVPN researchers cited by Engadget1.
NordVPN's Threat Intelligence team said the malware is packaged to look like legitimate emulation software and is meant to steal passwords and other personal data1.
Listing pages mimic existing emulator projects, Engadget reported, which can make the downloads look like known tools1. At the time of the report, malicious repositories had been disguised as the Kyttyps5 and AnyPS5 emulators1.
NordVPN chief technology officer Marijus Briedis said, "Emulation fans are a perfect target," because they often download experimental GitHub software and run unsigned files1. He said the payload is not an emulator and is designed to steal data, evade antivirus software and cover its tracks1.
Once installed, the malware adds exclusion rules to Microsoft Defender so the software is not scanned, Engadget said, summarizing NordVPN's account1. It then deploys an executable that NordVPN believes is an infostealer, a class of malware used to collect passwords and other stored information1.
A cleanup script then deletes the malware's own files, according to the same account, which would make the intrusion harder for a PC owner to notice1.
Engadget tied interest in unofficial PS5 emulation to Sony's earlier stance on first-party games and PC ports; that link is the outlet's speculation, not a finding from the malware report1. Independent confirmation of the GitHub listings, infection counts and whether Microsoft or GitHub have removed the repos was not in the article1.
