Legacy Code Lurks: Python Packages Pose Supply Chain Risk with Domain Takeover Threat
Vulnerable code in legacy Python packages raises red flags for a potential supply chain compromise on the Python Package Index. The issue stems from an old bootstrap script fetching from a now-available domain, leaving an “unnecessary attack surface.” Developers, beware—your code could become a comedy of errors with a malicious twist!
Hot Take:
Ah, legacy code—the gift that keeps on giving, like a fruitcake that never goes bad. Except instead of candied fruit, it’s stuffed with potential security threats. In this episode of “Who Wants to Be a Supply Chain Compromise?” we’ve got a neglected Python package script playing the role of the unsuspecting contestant. Will the developers be able to remove this ticking time bomb before it turns their code into a hacker’s playground? Or will it be Game Over, man?
Key Points:
- Legacy Python packages harbor vulnerable code, risking supply chain compromise via domain takeover.
- The vulnerability stems from a bootstrap script in the zc.buildout tool fetching scripts from a defunct domain.
- Distribute, a fork of Setuptools, is installed via an obsolete domain now available for sale.
- Some packages have removed the dangerous script, but others like slapos.core still ship it.
- Domain takeover threats aren’t hypothetical; past incidents have shown real-world impacts.