North Korea used job interviews to deploy malware on 30,000 devices during coding tests — WaterPlum group loots $10.7 million in crypto and plants persistent RATs
Security agencies from Japan, the U.S., Australia, and Germany issued a warning that the North Korean cyber group WaterPlum has infected over 30,000 devices by embedding malware in coding tests for fake job postings. The operation has compromised more than 7,000 cryptocurrency wallets, resulting in stolen funds totaling $10.71 million that are believed to be funneled to the DPRK government. The attackers use persistent remote access trojans to maintain control of victims' systems, potentially leveraging these compromised devices to infiltrate the networks of future employers.
- ▪More than 30,000 devices across 100 countries have been infected by the WaterPlum group's malware-laden job interview tests.
- ▪The cyber operation has compromised over 7,000 cryptocurrency wallets, leading to financial losses of $10.71 million.
- ▪Stolen cryptocurrency is believed to be funneled to the North Korean government, which also uses fake IT personnel to generate $500 million annually.
- ▪Amazon blocked over 1,800 suspected North Korean job applications since April 2024 as part of its efforts to counter these infiltration schemes.
- ▪Experts recommend that applicants use isolated virtual machines for interviews and verify job openings directly with companies to mitigate the risk of infection.
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| Publication time | Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:10:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-20T12:18:47.136Z |
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Tech Industry Cybersecurity North Korea used job interviews to deploy malware on 30,000 devices during coding tests — WaterPlum group loots $10.7 million in crypto and plants persistent RATs News By Jowi Morales Published 20 September 2026 If it's too good to be true, it probably is. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Security agencies in Japan, the U.S., Australia, and Germany warned that the North Korean “WaterPlum” cyber actor group has been installing malware on applicants to fake job postings and…
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