Posts

Showing posts with the label forensics

Oops, No Victims: The Largest Supply Chain Attack Stole 5 Cents

Image
The Biggest NPM Supply Chain Attack What is a Supply Chain Attack? A supply chain attack occurs when attackers target trusted third-party components, such as libraries or registries, instead of attacking users directly. By injecting malicious code at the source, they can spread it to all downstream users. These attacks are dangerous because updates happen automatically in build pipelines, making detection harder. A small modification in a common dependency can silently compromise thousands of projects. Defenses require strong authentication, artifact signing, reproducible builds, and active monitoring of supply chain integrity. Introduction On September 8, 2025, the npm ecosystem faced one of its largest compromises. A maintainer’s account was hijacked, and malicious versions of popular packages were published. Since npm packages are used globally in countless projects, the exposure was immediate and severe. Although the financial damage was limited, the operational dis...

File Doppelgängers: The World of Polyglot Files

Image
Unlocking the Secrets of Polyglot Files: When One File Speaks Many Languages Introduction In the world of cybersecurity, appearances can be deceiving. A file might look like an innocent image, but behind the scenes, it could also be a ZIP archive, a PDF, or even an executable. Such files are called polyglots — single files that are valid under multiple file formats at the same time. Polyglots are fascinating from a technical standpoint, but they also pose serious security risks. Attackers often use them to bypass filters, sneak past antivirus solutions, or trick unsuspecting users into executing malicious code. What Are Polyglot Files? A polyglot file is crafted in such a way that it conforms to the specifications of two (or more) different file types simultaneously. Example: A file that is both a JPEG image and a ZIP archive . When opened in an image viewer → You see a normal picture. When extracted with a ZIP tool → You find hidden file...