CAPEC-669
Alteration of a Software Update
An adversary with access to an organization’s software update infrastructure inserts malware into the content of an outgoing update to fielded systems where a wide range of malicious effects are possible. With the same level of access, the adversary can alter a software update to perform specific malicious acts including granting the adversary control over the software’s normal functionality.
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Explain the attack pattern CAPEC-669: Alteration of a Software Update: how it unfolds, what it needs and how to prevent and detect it in my systems. Use https://capec.mitre.org/data/definitions/669.html and https://cve.bz/cve/capec/669?via=ask-ai-copy, which lists recent CVEs with the weaknesses it exploits. Cite the sources.Opens a third-party assistant; its answer is its own, not cve.bz's. The prompt holds only this attack pattern's id and public links.
How the attack unfolds
Explore
The attacker looks for a way in.
[Identify software with frequent updates] The adversary must first identify a target software that has updates at least with some frequency, enough that there is am update infrastructure.
Experiment
They probe what they found.
[Gain access to udpate infrastructure] The adversary must then gain access to the organization's software update infrastructure. This can either be done by gaining remote access from outside the organization, or by having a malicious actor inside the organization gain access. It is often easier if someone within the organization gains access.
Exploit
They carry out the attack.
[Alter the software update] Through access to the software update infrastructure, an adversary will alter the software update by injecting malware into the content of an outgoing update.
Prerequisites
An adversary would need to have penetrated an organization’s software update infrastructure including gaining access to components supporting the configuration management of software versions and updates related to the software maintenance of customer systems.
Skills required
- High skill
Skills required include the ability to infiltrate the organization’s software update infrastructure either from the Internet or from within the organization, including subcontractors, and be able to change software being delivered to customer/user systems in an undetected manner.
Consequences
| Impact | Affects | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gain Privileges | Access Control | |
| Execute Unauthorized Commands | Authorization | |
| Modify Data | Integrity | |
| Read Data | Confidentiality |
Mitigations
Have a Software Assurance Plan that includes maintaining strict configuration management control of source code, object code and software development, build and distribution tools; manual code reviews and static code analysis for developmental software; and tracking of all storage and movement of code.
Require elevated privileges for distribution of software and software updates.
Related attack patterns
- Part of
- CAPEC-184 Software Integrity Attack
- Can lead to
- CAPEC-673 Developer Signing Maliciously Altered Software
Examples
A subcontractor to a software developer injects maliciously altered software updates into an automated update…
A subcontractor to a software developer injects maliciously altered software updates into an automated update process that distributes to government and commercial customers software containing a hidden backdoor.
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