SC-DEPENDENCY-CONFUSION-BIRSAN-2021
Summary
In February 2021 researcher Alex Birsan published the dependency confusion technique, exploiting how package managers (npm, PyPI, RubyGems) resolve a public package over a private one of the same name with a higher version. By publishing packages matching leaked internal package names to public registries, he achieved code execution on internal build systems at more than 35 companies including Apple, Microsoft, PayPal, Shopify, Netflix, Tesla and Uber. The research was authorized and earned over $130,000 in bug bounties, reshaping enterprise understanding of supply-chain namespace risk.
References
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