In this lesson,
we're going to explore supply chain attacks
and how they can be a primary attack vector in pentesting.
A supply chain attack involves compromising a trusted vendor
or service provider to gain access
to an organization's systems and data.
Understanding how these attacks work
and how to identify them
can help you better defend your network
and perform more effective penetration tests.
Think of a supply chain in manufacturing.
If a factory receives tainted raw materials,
the final product will be compromised.
Similarly, in the digital world, if a trusted vendor
or a service provider is compromised,
their software updates or services
can introduce vulnerabilities
into the organization that they rely on.
Let's start with software updates.
Many organizations rely on third-party software
that requires regular updates and patches.
If an attacker can compromise the update mechanism,
they can inject malicious code until the update,
which then gets distributed to all users.
For example, consider the SolarWinds attack
where attackers compromised the company's update server
and distributed malicious updates
to thousands of organizations.
As penetration testers,
we should examine the software update process
of critical applications to ensure that they are secure.
Now, imagine you're performing a penetration test
for a company that uses third-party software solutions.
One of these software solutions pushes an update.
You would investigate how the updates are verified
and ensure that the update mechanism
uses strong authentication and integrity checks.
If these checks are absent,
highlight how the attacker could exploit this
to introduce malicious code.
Next, let's talk about
third-party libraries and dependencies.
Modern applications often rely
on open source libraries and packages.
If an attacker can compromise one of these libraries,
they can inject vulnerabilities
that propagate into applications using them.
For instance, an attacker might inject malicious code
into a widely used MPM package.
When developers include this package in their project,
the malicious code executes.
During a penetration test,
you'll review the dependencies of critical applications
and ensure they come from trusted sources
and are regularly updated to patch known vulnerabilities.
Hardware supply chain attacks are another critical area.
Think of hardware as the foundation of a building.
If the foundation is compromised,
the entire structure is at risk.
In a hardware supply chain attack,
an attacker might compromise hardware components
during manufacturing or shipping.
For example, a malicious firmware could be installed
on network devices providing attackers
with their backdoor into the network.
Here, you would examine the procurement process
and verify the integrity of hardware components
used within an organization.
Cloud service and third-party providers also pose a risk.
Many organizations rely on cloud-based services
for critical functions.
If an attacker can compromise a cloud service provider,
they can access the data and systems of all their clients.
For instance, an attacker might exploit a vulnerability
in a cloud storage service to access sensitive data
stored by multiple organizations.
If a company is using a third-party storage provider
to store sensitive data,
such as customers' social security numbers,
financial transaction records,
and confidential business plans, as a penetration tester,
you would evaluate how the company verifies
the security practices of the provider,
including their encryption standards, access controls,
and data retention policies.
Another example involves malicious insiders
within the supply chain.
For instance, in 2020,
a former Cisco employee maliciously deleted
hundreds of virtual machines,
disrupting thousands of WebEx teams accounts,
and causing significant operational damage.
Similarly, a malicious insider at a third-party provider
can introduce vulnerabilities
or leak sensitive information,
such as customer credit card details
or proprietary software code.
Now, during a pentest, you'll review the access controls
and monitoring practices of these third-party providers,
ensuring that they implement measures
like strict role-based access control,
regular activity logging, and real-time anomaly detection
to effectively detect and prevent insider threats.
So remember, supply chain attacks
can be a significant attack vector.
By understanding and identifying issues,
such as compromised software updates,
tampered third-party libraries,
malicious hardware and vulnerabilities in cloud services,
you can help organizations protect themselves
from these threats.
Effective pentesting
involves scrutinizing the supply chain,
demonstrating how weaknesses can exploited,
and ensuring that robust security measures are in place
to prevent such attacks.