Everybody’s talking about the need to write more secure applications. But what if the bad guys sabotage the code during the development process? Researchers long have known about the potential for infection or a breach during the software-build process using open-source tools — there were cases in 2002 of hackers infecting OpenSSH, Sendmail, and IRC client IRSSI. But the recent generation of automated tools for compiling code and managing software builds — namely Apache "Ant," "Maven," and "Ivy" — have exacerbated the risk, says Brian Chess, founder and chief scientist for Fortify Software.
"This isn’t a brand-new risk. People have been forever downloading and running code," Chess says. "But with these new ‘build’ systems that automate the process… That extra bit of automation does hurt you." Chess and his fellow researchers at Fortify recently dubbed this class of vulnerabilities as "cross-build injection." Attackers insert vulnerabilities and malware into code during the software development process, rather than the more common approach of finding holes after the software is operational. Hackers Attack Apps While Still in Development - Application and Perimeter Security News Analysis - Dark Reading
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