warningRisk: Hardening

Scanned:

Python

Artifact:

Python language support with extension access points for IntelliSense (Pylance), Debugging (Python Debugger), linting, formatting, refactoring, unit tests, and more.

License: Permissive (MIT)

Published:

Publisher: ms-python

Visit GitHub

See on Visual Studio Code

SAFE Assessment

Compliance

Licenses

No license compliance issues

Secrets

No sensitive information found

Security

Vulnerabilities

No known vulnerabilities detected

Hardening

2 misconfigured toolchains detected

Threats

Tampering

No evidence of software tampering

Malware

No evidence of malware inclusion

List of software quality issues with the number of affected components.

Policies

Info

Problem

Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are structured addresses that point to locations and assets on the internet. URLs allow software developers to build complex applications that exchange data with servers that can be hosted in multiple geographical regions. URLs can commonly be found embedded in documentation, configuration files, source code and compiled binaries. One or more embedded URLs were discovered to link to raw files hosted on GitHub. Attackers often abuse popular web services to host malicious payloads. Since code-sharing services URLs are typically allowed by security solutions, using them for payload delivery increases the odds that the malicious code will reach the user. While the presence of code-sharing service locations does not imply malicious intent, all of their uses in a software package should be documented and approved. An increasing number of software supply chain attacks in the open source space leverages the GitHub service to deliver malicious payloads.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

79 packages

found in

Top 100

622 packages

found in

Top 1k

4233 packages

found in

Top 10k

29.36k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections.

If the software should not include these network references, investigate your build and release environment for software supply chain compromise.

You should delay the software release until the investigation is completed, or until the issue is risk accepted.

Consider an alternative delivery mechanism for software packages.

Problem

Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) is a group of enhanced compile-time checks that report common coding mistakes as errors, preventing them from reaching production. These checks minimize the number of security issues by enforcing strict memory access checks. They also prevent the use of hard-to-secure string and memory manipulation functions. To prove the binary has been compiled with these checks enabled, the compiler emits a special debug object. Removing the debug table eliminates this proof. Therefore, this check only applies to binaries that still have their debug tables.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

43 packages

found in

Top 100

257 packages

found in

Top 1k

754 packages

found in

Top 10k

3.7k packages

in community

Next steps

You should keep the debug table to prove that the SDL process has been followed.

To enable these checks, refer to your programming language toolchain documentation.

In Microsoft VisualStudio, you can enable this feature by setting the compiler option /SDL to ON.

Problem

Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) is a group of enhanced compile-time checks that report common coding mistakes as errors. These checks prevent the use of hard-to-secure memory manipulation functions. They enforce static memory access checks, and allow only the use of range-verified memory access functions. While these checks do not prevent every memory corruption issue by themselves, they do help reduce the likelihood.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

25 packages

found in

Top 100

134 packages

found in

Top 1k

216 packages

found in

Top 10k

904 packages

in community

Next steps

It's highly recommended to enable these checks for all software components used at security boundaries, or those that process user controlled inputs.

To enable these checks, refer to your programming language toolchain documentation.

In Microsoft VisualStudio, you can enable this feature by setting the compiler option /SDL to ON.

Problem

Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are structured addresses that point to locations and assets on the internet. URLs allow software developers to build complex applications that exchange data with servers that can be hosted in multiple geographical regions. URLs can commonly be found embedded in documentation, configuration files, source code and compiled binaries. Top-level domains (TLD) are a part of the Domain Name System (DNS), and are used to lookup an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a requested website. There are a few different types of top-level domains. Generic, sponsored and country-code TLDs are generally accessible to the public. Registrars that govern the assignment of domain names within the TLD may choose to sell specific domain names to an interested party. However, some registrars are known to have less strict rules for assigning domain names. Attackers often abuse gaps in governance and actively seek to register their malicious domains in such TLDs. This issue is raised for all domains registered within TLDs that harbor an excessive number of malicious sites. While the presence of suspicious TLDs does not imply malicious intent, all of its uses in a software package should be documented and approved.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

44 packages

found in

Top 100

321 packages

found in

Top 1k

1549 packages

found in

Top 10k

16.36k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections.

If the software should not include these network references, investigate your build and release environment for software supply chain compromise.

You should delay the software release until the investigation is completed, or until the issue is risk accepted.

Consider changing the top-level domain to avoid being flagged by security solutions.

Problem

Software developers use programming and design knowledge to build reusable software components. Software components are the basic building blocks for modern applications. Software consumed by an enterprise consists of hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of open source components. Software developers publish components they have authored to public repositories. While a new software project is a welcome addition to the open source community. it is not always prudent to indiscriminately use the latest components when building a commercial application. Irrespective of the software quality, the danger of using components that are rarely used to build applications lies in the fact that the software component may contain novel, currently undetected malicious code. Therefore, it is prudent to review software component behaviors and even try out software component in a sandbox, an environment meant for testing untrusted code.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

16 packages

found in

Top 100

88 packages

found in

Top 1k

443 packages

found in

Top 10k

2.27k packages

in community

Next steps

Check the software component behaviors for anomalies.

Consider exploratory software component testing within a sandbox environment.

Consider replacing the software component with a more widely used alternative.

Avoid using this software package until it is vetted as safe.

Problem

Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are structured addresses that point to locations and assets on the internet. URLs allow software developers to build complex applications that exchange data with servers that can be hosted in multiple geographical regions. URLs can commonly be found embedded in documentation, configuration files, source code and compiled binaries. A port number is associated with a network address of a host, such as an IP address, and the type of network protocol used for communication. Within URLs, the ports are optional. Ports can be specified in a URL immediately following the domain name. Each network protocol, or schema, has a set of standard ports on which the service operates. This issue is raised when a mismatch between a network protocol and its expected port number is detected. While the presence of non-standard ports does not imply malicious intent, all of their uses in a software package should be documented and approved.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

79 packages

found in

Top 100

560 packages

found in

Top 1k

2912 packages

found in

Top 10k

17.75k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections.

If the software should not include these network references, investigate your build and release environment for software supply chain compromise.

You should delay the software release until the investigation is completed, or until the issue is risk accepted.

Consider changing the port to one that is standard for the networking protocol.

Problem

Unicode is a text encoding standard designed to support the use of text written in all of the major languages and writing systems. While most languages are written from left to right, some are written in alternative directions. To accommodate encoding text written in such languages, the Unicode standard includes a number of special characters that allow the text direction to be specified. However, changing text direction can have adverse effects on how the encoded text is displayed and interpreted. For this reason, bidirectional Unicode control characters are commonly abused by malicious actors as a means of bypassing security solutions and avoiding detection. While presence of special Unicode characters does not imply malicious intent, all of its uses in a software package should be documented and approved. One example of acceptable use for these special characters is in script files that parse, validate, and transform Unicode-encoded text.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

67 packages

found in

Top 100

487 packages

found in

Top 1k

2562 packages

found in

Top 10k

13.67k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections as indicators of software tampering.

Consult Mitre ATT&CK documentation: T1036.002 - Masquerading: Right-to-Left Override.

Consult publicly available materials on the Trojan Source vulnerability.

Problem

Operating systems allow multiple user accounts to coexist on a single computer system. Each registered user has identity information associated with their account. At the very least, user accounts consist of a user name and an optional password. In some cases, user account data may also include personally identifiable information. Extended personal information may include user's given and last name, their email and mailing address, personal photo and their telephone number. Financially motivated attackers may seek to collect personal information for purposes of selling the private data to a third-party. Malicious code that typically exhibits these behavior traits is commonly referred to as an information stealer. While the presence of code that accesses identity information does not necessarily imply malicious intent, all of its uses in a software package should be documented and approved. Accessing identity information is a very common behavior for software packages. One example of acceptable use for such functions is verifying that the active user has purchased a software license that allows them to run the application.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

65 packages

found in

Top 100

419 packages

found in

Top 1k

1961 packages

found in

Top 10k

9.65k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections as indicators of software tampering.

Consult Mitre ATT&CK documentation: T1033 - System Owner/User Discovery.

Did you know...

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List of software quality issues with the number of affected components.

Policies

Info

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

79 packages

found in

Top 100

622 packages

found in

Top 1k

4233 packages

found in

Top 10k

29.36k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections.

If the software should not include these network references, investigate your build and release environment for software supply chain compromise.

You should delay the software release until the investigation is completed, or until the issue is risk accepted.

Consider an alternative delivery mechanism for software packages.

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

43 packages

found in

Top 100

257 packages

found in

Top 1k

754 packages

found in

Top 10k

3.7k packages

in community

Next steps

You should keep the debug table to prove that the SDL process has been followed.

To enable these checks, refer to your programming language toolchain documentation.

In Microsoft VisualStudio, you can enable this feature by setting the compiler option /SDL to ON.

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

25 packages

found in

Top 100

134 packages

found in

Top 1k

216 packages

found in

Top 10k

904 packages

in community

Next steps

It's highly recommended to enable these checks for all software components used at security boundaries, or those that process user controlled inputs.

To enable these checks, refer to your programming language toolchain documentation.

In Microsoft VisualStudio, you can enable this feature by setting the compiler option /SDL to ON.

Problem

Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are structured addresses that point to locations and assets on the internet. URLs allow software developers to build complex applications that exchange data with servers that can be hosted in multiple geographical regions. URLs can commonly be found embedded in documentation, configuration files, source code and compiled binaries. Top-level domains (TLD) are a part of the Domain Name System (DNS), and are used to lookup an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a requested website. There are a few different types of top-level domains. Generic, sponsored and country-code TLDs are generally accessible to the public. Registrars that govern the assignment of domain names within the TLD may choose to sell specific domain names to an interested party. However, some registrars are known to have less strict rules for assigning domain names. Attackers often abuse gaps in governance and actively seek to register their malicious domains in such TLDs. This issue is raised for all domains registered within TLDs that harbor an excessive number of malicious sites. While the presence of suspicious TLDs does not imply malicious intent, all of its uses in a software package should be documented and approved.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

44 packages

found in

Top 100

321 packages

found in

Top 1k

1549 packages

found in

Top 10k

16.36k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections.

If the software should not include these network references, investigate your build and release environment for software supply chain compromise.

You should delay the software release until the investigation is completed, or until the issue is risk accepted.

Consider changing the top-level domain to avoid being flagged by security solutions.

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

16 packages

found in

Top 100

88 packages

found in

Top 1k

443 packages

found in

Top 10k

2.27k packages

in community

Next steps

Check the software component behaviors for anomalies.

Consider exploratory software component testing within a sandbox environment.

Consider replacing the software component with a more widely used alternative.

Avoid using this software package until it is vetted as safe.

Problem

Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are structured addresses that point to locations and assets on the internet. URLs allow software developers to build complex applications that exchange data with servers that can be hosted in multiple geographical regions. URLs can commonly be found embedded in documentation, configuration files, source code and compiled binaries. A port number is associated with a network address of a host, such as an IP address, and the type of network protocol used for communication. Within URLs, the ports are optional. Ports can be specified in a URL immediately following the domain name. Each network protocol, or schema, has a set of standard ports on which the service operates. This issue is raised when a mismatch between a network protocol and its expected port number is detected. While the presence of non-standard ports does not imply malicious intent, all of their uses in a software package should be documented and approved.

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

79 packages

found in

Top 100

560 packages

found in

Top 1k

2912 packages

found in

Top 10k

17.75k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections.

If the software should not include these network references, investigate your build and release environment for software supply chain compromise.

You should delay the software release until the investigation is completed, or until the issue is risk accepted.

Consider changing the port to one that is standard for the networking protocol.

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

67 packages

found in

Top 100

487 packages

found in

Top 1k

2562 packages

found in

Top 10k

13.67k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections as indicators of software tampering.

Consult Mitre ATT&CK documentation: T1036.002 - Masquerading: Right-to-Left Override.

Consult publicly available materials on the Trojan Source vulnerability.

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

65 packages

found in

Top 100

419 packages

found in

Top 1k

1961 packages

found in

Top 10k

9.65k packages

in community

Next steps

Investigate reported detections as indicators of software tampering.

Consult Mitre ATT&CK documentation: T1033 - System Owner/User Discovery.

Python

SAFE Assessment

Compliance

Security

Threats

TH17127Detected presence of files containing URLs that link to raw files on GitHub.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

SQ14138Detected Windows executable files that were compiled without following the recommended SDL process.Causes risk: misconfigured toolchains detectedhardening

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

SQ14139Detected Windows executable files compiled without following the SDL best practices while using banned memory functions.Causes risk: misconfigured toolchains detectedhardening

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH17118Detected presence of files containing URLs that use suspicious top-level domains.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH30107Detected presence of software components that are rarely included by other public software packages.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH17115Detected presence of files containing URLs that use non-standard ports.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH16102Detected presence of files containing bidirectional Unicode control characters.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH16126Detected presence of software components that can access user identity information.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

Did you know...

TH17127Detected presence of files containing URLs that link to raw files on GitHub.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

SQ14138Detected Windows executable files that were compiled without following the recommended SDL process.Causes risk: misconfigured toolchains detectedhardening

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

SQ14139Detected Windows executable files compiled without following the SDL best practices while using banned memory functions.Causes risk: misconfigured toolchains detectedhardening

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH17118Detected presence of files containing URLs that use suspicious top-level domains.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH30107Detected presence of software components that are rarely included by other public software packages.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH17115Detected presence of files containing URLs that use non-standard ports.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH16102Detected presence of files containing bidirectional Unicode control characters.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps

TH16126Detected presence of software components that can access user identity information.hunting

Problem

Prevalence in Visual Studio Code community

Next steps