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@lemmyvore@feddit.nl

Post #3300728

2026-06-12 13:02 UTC

Here’s the AUR recipe (PKGBUILD file) for a random package: aur.archlinux.org/cgit/aur.git/tree/PKGBUILD?h=na… This is a standard format for the recipe. It’s Bash code used to define variables and functions. You’ll notice there’s no place to sneak in a Python script. There is some brief Bash code in the functions but any major stuff would stand out immediately. So would an command that fetches a malware zip from a weird URL. Meanwhile, if you add node or python to the dependencies, and then run a command that installs a perfectly legit npm or pip module, nobody would bat an eye. It’s impossible to figure out that among the many upstream dependencies of that module there might be one that was subverted to discreetly run malware. AUR is a very bad idea tbh and should not be used by the faint of heart. It makes it entirely too easy to pull this kind of crap.

Replies (2)

  • @jdr@lemmy.ml 2026-06-12 14:31

    AUR is a great idea, misusing it is a bad idea.

    Open ##3301062

  • @lofi@piefed.social 2026-06-12 16:49

    AUR itself is fine, the issue in this case is more with the automated system allowing anyone to take over orphaned/abandoned packages. This is a targeted attack leveraging that system.

    Open ##3301733