CAPEC-695: Repo Jacking

MITRE CAPEC attack pattern

Description

An adversary takes advantage of the redirect property of directly linked Version Control System (VCS) repositories to trick users into incorporating malicious code into their applications.

Where this sits in the chain

A finding maps to a weakness (CWE), a weakness is exploited by an attack pattern (CAPEC), and an attack pattern shows up in ATT&CK as observed adversary behaviour. This page is the middle hop.

Weaknesses exploited: CWE-494, CWE-829

ATT&CK techniques: T1195.001

Prerequisites

• Identification of a popular repository that may be directly referenced in numerous software applications
• A repository owner/maintainer who has recently changed their username or deleted their account

Skills required

• Low: Ability to create an account on a VCS hosting site and recreate an existing directory structure.
• Low: Ability to create malware that can exploit various software applications.

Consequences

• Integrity: Read Data, Modify Data
• Access Control, Authorization: Execute Unauthorized Commands, Alter Execution Logic, Gain Privileges

Mitigations

• Leverage dedicated package managers instead of directly linking to VCS repositories.
• Utilize version pinning and lock files to prevent use of maliciously modified repositories.
• Implement "vendoring" (i.e., including third-party dependencies locally) and leverage automated testing techniques (e.g., static analysis) to determine if the software behaves maliciously.
• Leverage automated tools, such as Checkmarx's "ChainJacking" tool, to determine susceptibility to Repo Jacking attacks.

Source

• MITRE CAPEC CAPEC-695