PoeLLM (Malware): news timeline & CVEs

Hackers Use GitHub-Hosted Poem to Control PoeLLM Malware Targeting AI Infrastructure

PoeLLM malware uses a GitHub poem to derive C2 addresses and mine cryptocurrency on more than 3,400 exposed AI servers.

Lumen’s Black Lotus Labs says PoeLLM, active since at least April 2026, has compromised more than 3,400 servers, mostly in the United States and Western Europe. The malware reads four marked words from a poem in a GitHub repository and maps them to the current command-and-control IPv4 address, so operators can rotate infrastructure by editing the poem. It targets exposed LiteLLM, Ollama, Gotenberg, and Gitea services; one LiteLLM path is linked to command-injection flaw CVE-2026-42271. The Linux payload provides a remote shell, scanning, exploit delivery, and XMRig and Iron miners that contact Kryptex.

Cyber Security Newsupdated 10:24 UTC · 13h agofirst 09:14 UTC · 14h agoMalware in the wild 7 sources CVE-2026-42271

PoeLLM Malware Hijacks 3,400+ Servers for Crypto Mining and Botnet Expansion

PoeLLM has compromised over 3,400 servers, mining cryptocurrency and spreading through exposed AI and web apps.

PoeLLM, active since April 2026, has compromised more than 3,400 servers, mainly in the United States and Western Europe, by abusing exposed LiteLLM, Ollama, Gotenberg, Gitea, and possibly Ivanti Sentry systems. Operators derive command-and-control addresses from a poem hosted on GitHub, and infected hosts run XMRig and Iron miners while scanning and exploiting further machines. One sample used LiteLLM authenticated command-execution flaw CVE-2026-42271, which version 1.83.7 fixes. Peak activity exceeded 800 servers a day, and Lumen said it blocked traffic to identified command servers.

GBHackersupdated 10:24 UTC · 13h agofirst 05:21 UTC · 18h agoMalware in the wild 7 sources CVE-2026-42271

Poetry is the new AI security threat as PoeLLM malware infects 3K+ servers

PoeLLM malware has infected over 3,000 servers since April, hiding command-and-control in a GitHub poem while mining cryptocurrency.

Black Lotus Labs says the PoeLLM malware has infected more than 3,000 servers, mainly in the United States and Western Europe, since at least April 2026. The Canto Incognito campaign, linked to an Italian-speaking criminal, breaks into exposed services including LiteLLM, Ollama, Gotenberg, and Gitea. Infected hosts mine cryptocurrency with XMRig and scan for additional vulnerable systems. Operators hide command-and-control locations in a poem on GitHub; researchers found the activity while investigating Ivanti Sentry flaw CVE-2026-10520.

The Register · Securityupdated 10:24 UTC · 13h agofirst Oct 7, 16:01 UTC · 1d agoMalware in the wild 7 sources CVE-2026-10520

PoeLLM Malware Infects 3,400+ Servers to Expand Crypto Mining Botnet

PoeLLM malware has infected over 3,400 servers to build a cryptomining botnet called Canto Incognito.

Lumen Black Lotus Labs reported the Canto Incognito campaign, which has deployed PoeLLM malware since April 2026 to more than 3,400 servers, mainly in the United States and Western Europe. Infected hosts run XMRig and Iron cryptocurrency miners and connect to the Kryptex mining service. The malware derives its command-and-control address from selected words in a poem hosted on GitHub. It exploits exposed LiteLLM, Gotenberg, Gitea, and Ivanti Sentry systems, then turns victims into scanners that push the malware to new targets. Lumen attributes the activity to an Italian-speaking actor with moderate confidence.

The Hacker Newsupdated 10:24 UTC · 13h agofirst Oct 7, 15:33 UTC · 1d agoMalware in the wild 7 sources1

PoeLLM malware infects exposed AI servers in cryptomining attacks

PoeLLM cryptomining malware has compromised over 2,100 exposed AI servers, using GitHub poems for command-and-control.

Lumen's Black Lotus Labs says PoeLLM has compromised more than 2,100 servers, with as many as 800 infections active in one day, mainly in the United States and Western Europe. Active since at least April 2026, the Linux malware derives its command-and-control IPv4 address from keywords in a GitHub-hosted poem and has used at least 11 controllers. Compromised hosts scan, deploy exploits, open a remote shell, and run XMRig and Iron miners associated with the Russian service Kryptex. Targets include exposed LiteLLM, Ollama, Gotenberg, and Gitea; CVE-2026-42271 can be chained with CVE-2026-48710 for unauthenticated LiteLLM remote code execution. Researchers moderately assess the operator as Italian.

BleepingComputerupdated 10:24 UTC · 13h agofirst Oct 7, 15:04 UTC · 1d agoMalware in the wild 7 sources CVE-2026-42271

PoeLLM malware has assembled a sweeping botnet, taking technical cues from a poem

PoeLLM malware has compromised over 3,400 servers, encoding its command-and-control address in a GitHub poem.

Lumen Technologies’ Black Lotus Labs said PoeLLM malware has compromised more than 3,400 servers since April by targeting exposed services including LiteLLM, Ollama, Gotenberg, and Gitea. The malware reads a poem on GitHub and maps four words through a hard-coded dictionary to assemble its command-and-control IP, so operators can rotate infrastructure without updating implants. The botnet conducts exploit scanning and cryptocurrency mining and can run remote code, which researchers say could abuse AI models on victim servers. Italian-language comments and Italy-based servers suggest an Italian-speaking operator, with no observed links to known groups.

CyberScoopupdated 10:24 UTC · 13h agofirst Oct 7, 15:00 UTC · 1d agoMalware in the wild 7 sources1

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