T08 · Insecure Dependencies
Warning
- Location
- requirements.txt:5
- Finding
- Unpinned and Unverified Third-Party Dependencies## Vulnerability Details **File Location**: `requirements.txt:5-16`; installation instruction at `README.md:7` **Vulnerability Type**: Supply-chain exposure through mutable dependency resolution **Risk Level**: Medium ### Vulnerable Code `requirements.txt:5-16`: ```text # HTTP requests requests>=2.31.0 # Data processing pandas>=2.0.0 openpyxl>=3.1.0 # Environment variable loading python-dotenv>=1.0.0 # Logging colorlog>=6.7.0 ``` `README.md:7`: ```bash pip install -r requirements.txt ``` ### Technical Analysis All third-party packages use open-ended minimum-version constraints. Consequently, the installation does not reproduce a fixed, previously reviewed dependency set: pip may select any later compatible release and additional mutable transitive dependencies. No lock file or cryptographic hashes are supplied to verify package artifacts. If an allowed future release or one of its transitive dependencies is compromised, following the documented installation command could install attacker-controlled code. Python packages can execute code during package installation and subsequently when imported by the application. The declared `requests` and `colorlog` packages are not used by the inspected application code. Retaining unnecessary dependencies expands the number of packages and transitive components that must remain trustworthy without providing current functionality. This finding does not establish that any package currently named in the file is malicious. It identifies unsafe and non-reproducible dependency management that creates a viable supply-chain attack path. ### Attack Path 1. An attacker compromises a future release of a listed package, its distribution account, or an eligible transitive dependency. 2. The malicious release remains compatible with an open-ended constraint such as `requests>=2.31.0`. 3. A user follows the documentation and runs `pip install -r requirements.txt`. 4 ...[truncated 915 chars]
- Remediation
- ## Remediation Suggestions 1. Remove `requests` and `colorlog` unless concrete runtime functionality requires them. 2. Pin every direct dependency to an exact, reviewed version rather than using open-ended minimum constraints. 3. Generate a fully resolved lock file that also fixes all transitive dependency versions. 4. Record SHA-256 hashes for approved distributions and install with pip hash verification, such as `--require-hashes`. 5. Download packages only from an explicitly configured, trusted package index. 6. Review dependency release notes and vulnerability advisories before updating the lock file. 7. Perform dependency installation in an isolated virtual environment under a non-administrative account. 8. Add automated dependency and artifact-integrity scanning to the release process.