Understanding Malicious Package Attacks and Defense Strategies for Robust Cybersecurity

Malicious packages consist of software embedded with code that is capable of causing harm to an entire system or network . This is a rapidly growing threat affecting open-source software and the software supply chain. This attack method has seen a nearly 12,000% increase from 2022 to 2023, as reported by Synk . Some reasons include its technical feasibility, the potential for high returns, and the widespread distribution of open-source offerings, Common types of malicious packages encompass: Windows .exe application installation files that install malware instead of the intended application….