Slow Pisces Tricks Crypto Devs With Fake Job Offers - 1

Image by Mohammad Rahmani, from Unsplash

Slow Pisces Tricks Crypto Devs With Fake Job Offers

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

A North Korean hacking group known as Slow Pisces is tricking cryptocurrency developers into running malicious code disguised as job application challenges.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Malware activates after checking the victim’s location and system configuration.
  • Malware runs in memory, leaving no trace on hard drives.
  • RN Stealer collects usernames, apps, and directories from macOS systems.

The group, also known as Jade Sleet or TraderTraitor, has stolen over $1 billion in crypto assets and continues to launch sophisticated attacks aimed at generating income for the DPRK regime.

According to cybersecurity researchers at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 , Slow Pisces contacts developers on LinkedIn pretending to be recruiters . After engaging in conversation, they send a fake job description in a PDF. If the victim applies, they’re sent a coding test that includes a “real project” hosted on GitHub. That project is laced with malware.

These fake projects often appear legitimate and even pull data from real websites like Wikipedia. But hidden among the sources is one malicious site controlled by the hackers. The malware is only activated after confirming the target’s location and system details, allowing Slow Pisces to avoid detection.

Instead of using obvious hacking tricks that security systems can easily spot, the attackers used a sneakier method called YAML deserialization. Basically, they hide dangerous code inside what looks like harmless setup files, making it harder to detect.

Once installed, the malware runs in memory and doesn’t leave traces on the hard drive. It downloads additional malware, named RN Loader and RN Stealer. RN Loader collects basic system data, while RN Stealer gathers more sensitive info like usernames, installed apps, and directory contents, especially from macOS systems.

Palo Alto Networks reported the malicious LinkedIn and GitHub accounts. Both platforms responded:

Security experts recommend developers stay cautious of unsolicited coding challenges and check URLs linked in job tests.

Blue Origin To Launch First All-Female Crew Into Space, Including Katy Perry And Lauren Sánchez - 2

Photo by Ellienore Bradley on Unsplash

Blue Origin To Launch First All-Female Crew Into Space, Including Katy Perry And Lauren Sánchez

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin will launch its 11th human flight, the NS-31 mission, today from its West Texas base at 08:30 am local time. The singer Katy Perry and the journalist Lauren Sánchez—Bezo’s fiancée—are part of the company’s first all-female mission.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Blue Origin will launch its first female-only crew this Monday from its West Texas base at 8:30 am.
  • Crew members include pop star Katy Perry, journalist and Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez, and rocket scientist Aisha Bowe.
  • The mission will last 11 minutes, and passengers will get to experience weightlessness.

A few weeks ago, Blue Origin announced its upcoming mission NS-31, in which six women will fly aboard the New Shepard rocket for 11 minutes. The flight will reach over 100 kilometers above Earth, crossing the Kármán line and allowing the crew to experience weightlessness before returning to Earth and landing with parachute assistance.

The crew members are former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, scientist and civil rights activist Amanda Nguyễn, journalist and CBS host Gayle King, pop star Kary Perry, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, and journalist and aviator Lauren Sánchez. Blue Origin has invited the public to watch the launch live via webcast on the social media platform X.

The NS-31 crew is certified ‘ready to fly to space’ by CrewMember 7 Sarah Knights. The launch window opens tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. CDT / 13:30 UTC. You can watch the live webcast here tomorrow at 7 a.m. CDT, hosted by Charissa Thompson, Kristin Fisher, and Ariane Cornell. pic.twitter.com/auKPJvtSl3 — Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 14, 2025

In February, Blue Origin successfully launched its New Shepard rocket for an experiment to mimic the moon’s gravity in flight with positive results. This mission would be the company’s 31st mission to space, and 11th crewed flight.

According to the BBC , the spacecraft is autonomous, and the crew will not need to operate the rocket manually. Passengers are usually trained by Blue Origin for over two days to guarantee safety and follow emergency protocols for this space tourism program. The commercial flight with Bezos’ company requires a $150,000 deposit for a seat, but the details of the cost of this mission have not been disclosed.

The all-female crew will achieve a new record for the century, as the last all-female flight was performed by Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova aboard Vostok 6 over 60 years ago. They will also carry out a few scientific experiments, as reported by the New York Post .

SpaceX also recently launched a commercial flight on April 1st, taking 4 civilians on an Earth orbit mission that lasted three days. The amateur astronauts returned to Earth safely a few days ago.