AwakeStars

Detects fake stars on any public GitHub repository.

Install

pip install requests

Usage

python awakestars.py owner/repo

Examples

python awakestars.py torvalds/linux
python awakestars.py torvalds/linux --limit 200
python awakestars.py torvalds/linux --show-fakes
python awakestars.py torvalds/linux --verbose

Options

Flag	Description
--token	GitHub personal access token. Not required, but raises rate limit from 60 to 5000 requests/hr. Needed for repos with many stars.
--limit	Only analyze the first N stargazers. Useful for large repos.
--show-fakes	Print a list of suspected fake accounts after the report.
--verbose	Show progress while running.

Output

--------------------------------------------------
AwakeStars Report: some-org/some-repo
--------------------------------------------------
Total analyzed : 1200
Real stars     : 940
Fake stars     : 260
Fake percentage: 21.67%
--------------------------------------------------

Rate Limits

GitHub allows 60 API requests per hour without a token. Each stargazer analyzed costs one request. For repos with more than ~50 stars, use a token.

To get a token: go to https://github.com/settings/tokens and generate one. No special permissions needed for public repos.

python awakestars.py owner/repo --token ghp_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE

How It Works

A star is flagged as fake if the account meets all of the following:

• Fewer than 2 followers and 2 following
• Fewer than 5 public repos and 0 public gists
• Account created after January 1, 2022
• No email, bio, or blog set
• Account was created, last updated, and starred the repo all on the same day
• Hireable field never filled out