CAPEC-530: Provide Counterfeit Component
An attacker provides a counterfeit component during the procurement process of a lower-tier component supplier to a sub-system developer or integrator, which is then built into the system being upgraded or repaired by the victim, allowing the attacker to cause disruption or additional compromise.
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Overview
CAPEC-530 (Provide Counterfeit Component) is a detailed-level attack pattern catalogued by MITRE in the Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC). It describes a recurring method attackers use to exploit software weaknesses.
What the attacker needs
Prerequisites
- Advanced knowledge about the target system and sub-components.
Skills required
- High skill: Able to develop and manufacture malicious system components that resemble legitimate name-brand components.
How to mitigate it
Defenses that reduce the risk of CAPEC-530.
- There are various methods to detect if the component is a counterfeit. See section II of [REF-703] for many techniques.
Examples
The attacker, aware that the victim has contracted with an integrator for system maintenance and that the integrator uses commercial-off-the-shelf network hubs, develops their own network hubs with a built-in malicious capability for remote access, the malicious network hubs appear to be a well-known brand of network hub but are not. The attacker then advertises to the sub-system integrator that they are a legit supplier of network hubs, and offers them at a reduced price to entice the integrator to purchase these network hubs. The integrator then installs the attacker's hubs at the victim's location, allowing the attacker to remotely compromise the victim's network.