A fake GitHub repository tricks AI agents into installing malware
The fake repository had 286 stars and ranked first in search results when researchers looked at it.
Researchers at AIR Research Lab found SolanaCry, a malware that attacks AI coding agents and not persons. It comes from a fake GitHub repository that poses as a starter kit for Solana apps. The instructions in it tell an agent to operate a command that installs a remote-access tool on Windows computers. This can put cryptocurrency wallets on those computers at risk.
How it works
The README file tells an agent to operate a PowerShell command. The command downloads a 21 MB file and starts it in memory, and it saves no file first. The file puts 14 files in a hidden folder. 13 of them are signed parts of NetSupport Manager, a legitimate tool for remote access.
The numbers
The repository was made in November 2025. It had 286 stars and ranked first in search results for a Solana starter kit. The attackers connect to the computer through a server. The tool sends a check-in signal each 60 seconds. The researchers gave no count of victims.
What is not known
A value in the malware agrees with data that eSentire uses to monitor a group with the name EVALUSION. The researchers add that this does not show who runs the campaign.
Insight: Attackers now bait the agent to reach the developer computer
Aokigahara, a data stealer found in October 2026, copies login files of 7 AI tools and cloud keys. A GitHub token from March let an attacker get 472 of 638 repositories. SolanaCry puts a remote-access tool on the same type of computer. This reads as a move to attack the agent, because it follows a README and the computer holds the keys. Look for more fake repositories that rank high in search.
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