Dormant GitHub Accounts: A New Vector in Supply Chain Attacks
In July 2026, Datadog Security Labs identified multiple coordinated campaigns systematically enumerating corporate GitHub organizations, repositories, and user accounts via the GitHub API. Attackers utilized automated scraping tools with custom or legitimate-sounding user agents, leveraging dormant 'ghost' accounts—created two to five years prior and left inactive—as well as compromised OAuth tokens and personal access tokens (PATs) from legitimate users. While much of the activity targeted public data, some instances involved cloning private repositories, indicating a significant escalation in threat actor capabilities. This incident underscores the evolving tactics of threat actors who exploit dormant accounts and compromised credentials to conduct reconnaissance and access sensitive information. Organizations must enhance their monitoring of API activities and implement robust access controls to mitigate such risks.
Kill Chain
