[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"branding":3,"analytics":7,"article-north-korea-used-fake-job-tests-to-infect-30000-devices":10,"sections":35},{"siteName":4,"siteTagline":5,"publisherName":4,"contactEmail":6},"The Revision","Tech news, decoded.","editor@therevision.news",{"gaMeasurementId":8,"adsenseClientId":9},"G-ZW2MV82GYR","ca-pub-8533917693782264",{"article":11},{"id":12,"slug":13,"title":14,"dek":15,"body_md":16,"tags_json":17,"published_at":18,"created_at":19,"updated_at":20,"status":21,"review_note":22,"review_notes":23,"image_url":22,"persona_id":22,"persona_name":22,"section":24,"tags":25,"sources":30,"feedback":34,"feedback_at":22,"cost_usd":34,"total_tokens":34},7052,"north-korea-used-fake-job-tests-to-infect-30000-devices","North Korea used fake job tests to infect 30000 devices","A North Korean group used fake coding tests to plant persistent malware on more than 30000 devices worldwide, stealing $10.7 million in crypto.","North Korean hackers turned coding interviews into an infection vector, compromising more than 30,000 devices in 100 countries.\n\nSecurity agencies in Japan, the U.S., Australia, and Germany issued a joint advisory identifying the group as WaterPlum. The scheme starts with fake recruiters posing as AI, cryptocurrency, and NFT companies, who ask applicants to complete a coding test as part of the hiring process. Those tests carry hidden malware that installs a persistent remote access trojan, giving attackers access to the victim's machine for months after the interview ends. The advisory ties the campaign to more than 30,000 infected devices, over 7,000 compromised crypto wallets, and $10.71 million in losses.\n\nThe money is believed to flow back to the North Korean government, which runs a parallel scheme placing fake IT workers inside real companies to earn an estimated $500 million a year. Amazon says it has blocked more than 1,800 suspected North Korean job applications since April 2024. The sharper risk is what happens after the interview: the same infected laptop is often the one an applicant later uses at a legitimate job, turning a rejected candidate into a backdoor at their next employer.\n\nSanctions locked North Korea out of the normal economy, so it built a shadow one out of job boards and take-home assignments. It is a slower, quieter heist than a bank hack, but a steady one.","[\"north-korea\",\"cybersecurity\",\"cryptocurrency\",\"malware\"]","2026-09-20T12:10:00.000Z","2026-09-20T12:31:50.782Z","2026-09-20T12:32:02.708Z","published",null,[],"security",[26,27,28,29],"north-korea","cybersecurity","cryptocurrency","malware",[31],{"name":32,"url":33},"Tom's Hardware","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tomshardware.com\u002Ftech-industry\u002Fcyber-security\u002Fnorth-korea-used-job-interviews-to-deploy-malware-on-30-000-devices-during-coding-tests-waterplum-group-loots-usd10-7-million-in-crypto-and-plants-persistent-rats",0,{"sections":36},[37,42,45,50,55,60,65,70,75,80,85,90,95,100],{"name":38,"slug":39,"count":40,"latest_published_at":41},"AI","ai",4115,"2026-09-20T11:20:00.000Z",{"name":43,"slug":24,"count":44,"latest_published_at":18},"Security",674,{"name":46,"slug":47,"count":48,"latest_published_at":49},"Policy","policy",345,"2026-09-19T19:22:20.000Z",{"name":51,"slug":52,"count":53,"latest_published_at":54},"Deals","deals",179,"2026-06-29T20:02:07.000Z",{"name":56,"slug":57,"count":58,"latest_published_at":59},"Hardware","hardware",156,"2026-09-19T11:00:00.000Z",{"name":61,"slug":62,"count":63,"latest_published_at":64},"Science","science",129,"2026-09-19T19:45:00.000Z",{"name":66,"slug":67,"count":68,"latest_published_at":69},"Consumer Tech","consumer-tech",99,"2026-09-09T17:27:33.000Z",{"name":71,"slug":72,"count":73,"latest_published_at":74},"Dev Tools","dev-tools",78,"2026-09-18T04:00:00.000Z",{"name":76,"slug":77,"count":78,"latest_published_at":79},"Software","software",75,"2026-09-10T20:41:21.000Z",{"name":81,"slug":82,"count":83,"latest_published_at":84},"Startups","startups",55,"2026-09-09T23:14:29.000Z",{"name":86,"slug":87,"count":88,"latest_published_at":89},"Gaming","gaming",43,"2026-09-10T12:18:06.000Z",{"name":91,"slug":92,"count":93,"latest_published_at":94},"General","general",42,"2026-09-18T22:35:10.000Z",{"name":96,"slug":97,"count":98,"latest_published_at":99},"Reviews","reviews",20,"2026-06-24T12:00:01.000Z",{"name":101,"slug":102,"count":103,"latest_published_at":104},"How-To","how-to",6,"2026-06-16T09:00:00.000Z"]