CAPEC-692

Detailed Abstraction Level
Meta — Very abstract, high-level category
Standard — Specific enough to understand
Detailed — Tied to specific technique
Stable MITRE CAPEC Status
Stable — Fully reviewed and complete
Draft — Under development
Incomplete — Partially defined
Deprecated — No longer recommended
Obsolete — Replaced by another CAPEC
Likelihood: Medium Severity: High
Spoof Version Control System Commit Metadata

Description

An adversary spoofs metadata pertaining to a Version Control System (VCS) (e.g., Git) repository's commits to deceive users into believing that the maliciously provided software is frequently maintained and originates from a trusted source.

Prerequisites

Identification of a popular open-source repository whose metadata is to be spoofed.

Mitigations

Before downloading open-source software, perform precursory metadata checks to determine the author(s), frequency of updates, when the software was last updated, and if the software is widely leveraged.

Reference vulnerability databases to determine if the software contains known vulnerabilities.

Only download open-source software from reputable hosting sites or package managers.

Only download open-source software that has been adequately signed by the developer(s). For repository commits/tags, look for the "Verified" status and for developers leveraging "Vigilant Mode" (GitHub) or similar modes.

After downloading open-source software, ensure integrity values have not changed.

Before executing or incorporating the software, leverage automated testing techniques (e.g., static and dynamic analysis) to determine if the software behaves maliciously.

Skills Required

[Medium] Ability to spoof a variety of repository metadata to convince victims the source is trusted.