A security administrator is verifying a new software update from a trusted vendor. The administrator confirms that the update is digitally signed with the vendor's valid code-signing certificate. Why might this update still pose a security risk to the organization?
A valid digital signature automatically bypasses all antivirus and endpoint protection scanning.
Digital signatures only provide confidentiality for the update package through encryption.
The vendor's build environment could have been compromised, allowing malicious code to be signed with a legitimate certificate.
Code-signing certificates cannot be revoked by the Certificate Authority (CA) once issued.
A digital signature provides assurance that a file has not been altered since it was signed (integrity) and that it originated from the holder of the private key (authenticity). However, it does not guarantee the code is free from malware. As seen in major supply chain attacks, if an attacker compromises a vendor's internal build process, they can inject malicious code into the software before it is signed. The software, now containing malware, is then legitimately signed by the vendor, making it appear trustworthy. Another primary attack vector is the theft of a vendor's code-signing private key, which allows an attacker to sign their own malicious files. Therefore, relying solely on a digital signature is insufficient.
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