Page 119 - Cyber Defense eMagazine Annual RSA Edition for 2024
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To provide context, Electron is a software framework made by GitHub, used for creating desktop
applications that work on different operating systems, like Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Electron lets developers use web technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to build their applications.
Under the hood, it uses two main components: Chromium, which is responsible for displaying web
content, and Node.js, which runs the backend code.
Attackers like to use Electron because it enables them to create malicious software that can run on many
different types of computers and develop code that works on multiple platforms without needing individual
rewrites.
Meanwhile, in the background, these applications can secretly access important functions of the
operating system, allowing attackers to perform malicious activities without the user's knowledge.
The app built with Electron stores its source code and essential files within a resource file. Inside this
resource file, you'll typically find an "app.asar" file, which serves as the main file containing all the source
code and important resources.
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