A new and concerning attack technique has been identified by Checkmarx researchers, leveraging the entry points of open source application packages. This technique, dubbed “command jacking,” exploits the ability of developers to expose specific functions as command line tools. Attackers can create malicious packages with fake entry points, impersonating widely-used third-party tools or system commands like ‘aws’, ‘docker’, ‘npm’, ‘pip’, ‘git’, ‘kubectl’, ‘terraform’, ‘gcloud’, ‘heroku’, or ‘dotnet’. When unsuspecting developers install these packages and run the hijacked commands, malicious code can be executed, potentially leading to data theft, malware installation, and compromise of entire cloud infrastructures.
Open source application packages, including those in Python and JavaScript, have a vulnerability in their entry points that could be used by threat actors to execute malicious code to steal data, plant malware, and more. This warning to developers and infosec leaders comes from researchers at Checkmarx, who dub the techniques “command jacking.” Attackers can use entry points to run specific commands impersonating popular third-party tools and system commands, but they could also leverage malicious plugins and extensions. This highlights the importance of scrutinizing open source package repositories and ensuring that developers are aware of the potential risks associated with entry point attacks.