Slopsquatting
¿Qué es Slopsquatting?
SlopsquattingA 2024-coined supply-chain attack where adversaries register package names that LLM code assistants frequently hallucinate, so developers who copy-paste the suggested install command end up pulling malicious code.
Slopsquatting is a software supply-chain attack discovered as LLM-driven coding assistants became mainstream. Researchers documented that models consistently invent plausible-but-nonexistent package names — for example a Python pandas helper, a Node logging library, or a Rust crate that sounds right but has never been published. Attackers register those hallucinated names on the relevant package registry (PyPI, npm, crates.io) with malicious payloads; when a developer follows the AI's suggested `pip install` or `npm install` command, the attacker's code runs in their build environment. The name 'slopsquatting' fuses 'AI slop' with typosquatting. Because the same hallucination tends to repeat across users and even across model versions, a single squatted name can harvest many victims over weeks. Defenses include human verification of every external dependency, deterministic lockfiles, allowlisted registries or proxy registries that block recently-registered packages, and IDE plugins that flag packages the assistant suggested but a curated registry hasn't seen.
● Ejemplos
- 01
A coding assistant repeatedly suggests `pip install requests-helper`; an attacker registers that name on PyPI with a post-install hook that exfiltrates environment variables.
- 02
Internal policy requires that any dependency proposed by Copilot or Claude Code must exist on the proxy registry before it can be installed by CI.
● Preguntas frecuentes
¿Qué es Slopsquatting?
A 2024-coined supply-chain attack where adversaries register package names that LLM code assistants frequently hallucinate, so developers who copy-paste the suggested install command end up pulling malicious code. Pertenece a la categoría de Seguridad de IA y ML en ciberseguridad.
¿Qué significa Slopsquatting?
A 2024-coined supply-chain attack where adversaries register package names that LLM code assistants frequently hallucinate, so developers who copy-paste the suggested install command end up pulling malicious code.
¿Cómo funciona Slopsquatting?
Slopsquatting is a software supply-chain attack discovered as LLM-driven coding assistants became mainstream. Researchers documented that models consistently invent plausible-but-nonexistent package names — for example a Python pandas helper, a Node logging library, or a Rust crate that sounds right but has never been published. Attackers register those hallucinated names on the relevant package registry (PyPI, npm, crates.io) with malicious payloads; when a developer follows the AI's suggested `pip install` or `npm install` command, the attacker's code runs in their build environment. The name 'slopsquatting' fuses 'AI slop' with typosquatting. Because the same hallucination tends to repeat across users and even across model versions, a single squatted name can harvest many victims over weeks. Defenses include human verification of every external dependency, deterministic lockfiles, allowlisted registries or proxy registries that block recently-registered packages, and IDE plugins that flag packages the assistant suggested but a curated registry hasn't seen.
¿Cómo defenderse de Slopsquatting?
Las defensas contra Slopsquatting combinan habitualmente controles técnicos y prácticas operativas, como se detalla en la definición.
¿Cuáles son otros nombres para Slopsquatting?
Nombres alternativos comunes: AI package hallucination attack, LLM package squatting.
● Términos relacionados
- attacks№ 1234
Ataque a la cadena de suministro
Ataque que compromete a un proveedor de software, hardware o servicios de confianza para llegar a sus clientes finales.
- attacks№ 1308
Typosquatting
Registrar nombres de dominio o de paquete que son erratas o imitaciones visuales de los legítimos para captar a quien comete errores de tecleo o de reconocimiento.
- attacks№ 1307
Paquete typosquatted
Paquete open source malicioso publicado con un nombre muy parecido al de una libreria popular para que los desarrolladores lo instalen por error.
- attacks№ 719
Paquete malicioso de npm
Paquete de npm que contiene codigo oculto para robar datos, instalar malware o comprometer aplicaciones que lo incluyan al instalarse.
- ai-security№ 032
Alucinación de IA
Modo de fallo en el que un sistema de IA generativa produce contenido fluido y confiado pero factualmente erróneo, inventado o sin respaldo en sus fuentes.
- appsec№ 1186
Seguridad de la cadena de suministro de software
Disciplina que protege cada eslabón de la producción de software —fuente, dependencias, build, firma, distribución y despliegue— frente a manipulación, código malicioso y pérdida de integridad.