What is “Shift Left Attack”? 

What is “Shift Left” Attack?

The term Shift Left Attack means an attack on the early stages of SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), i.e., on the coding, build, or CI/CD phases, instead of a cyber-attack on the end product. This is a type of attack that takes place in the early stages, where an attacker inserts a vulnerability or malware into the application even before it goes to production. This allows injected defects to escape the security gates while traversing an end-to-end pipeline and ultimately reside in production.

Key factors enabling Shift left attacks are: 

1. Rapid Development Cycles

   In the modern development process, rapid development is prioritized over comprehensive security checks. This leads to creating opportunities for attackers to introduce vulnerabilities during the early stages of the development process. Hence, urgency to meet deadlines can lead to overlooked flaws in coding or building stages.

2. CI/CD Pipelines

   Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment practices are central to modern software development. While CI/CD pipelines enhance efficiency by automating testing and deployment processes, they also introduce risks. An attacker exploiting weak access controls, misconfigured environments, or insufficient pipeline security can inject malicious code or vulnerabilities directly into the build process. Since CI/CD systems often execute automated trust-based tasks, malicious code injected early can traverse the pipeline seamlessly and integrate into production.

3. Reliance on Open-Source Components

   Developers increasingly rely on open-source libraries and frameworks to accelerate development. While these components save time, they may carry hidden vulnerabilities or provide an entry point for attackers. Compromising a widely used open-source library enables attackers to distribute malicious code across multiple projects, as was evident in supply chain attacks like the SolarWinds breach. Without proper validation of dependencies, such risks can propagate undetected through development pipelines.

To showcase how a shift left attack differs from a traditional attack, we can consider an example of the SolarWinds supply chain breach in 2020. In this incident, attackers were embedded in the software development process and inserted an infected code (SUNBURST malware) into the Orion software during build time. That allowed the malware to be sent as a legitimate, signed update to thousands of customers, including banks and government agencies. Unlike traditional attacks that target live systems (e.g., exploiting vulnerabilities in deployed infrastructure), this shift-left attack occurred much earlier in the development lifecycle, exploiting weaknesses in CI/CD pipelines to create a widespread impact before deployment. 

A Primer on the “Shift Left” Mentality

Traditionally, security and quality assurance aspects are performed at the end of the development cycle, thereby resulting in the detection of issues only at the production level. The “Shift Left” approach takes these security checks to the left of the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), which results in the detection of any kind of malware or cyber-attack before it reaches the production environment. Various tools like “Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and proper code review can be used before launching the code into production. 

Importance

With the rapid increase in development processes, fixing vulnerabilities during the development phase is significantly cheaper than fixing them in production, with studies showing that the cost of fixing a vulnerability in production can be 10 to 30 times higher than fixing it during development due to the increased complexity of making changes in a live environment and potential disruption to ongoing operations. 

How does Shift Left Security differ from Shift Right Security? 

As the name suggests, Shift Left Security and Shift Right Security are two different strategies for implementing security in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Both aim to protect applications, but they are very different in the order of when they do it. 

Shift Left Security covers implementing security at an early phase so that vulnerabilities are detected in earlier phases like the code and design phase. Conversely, Shift Right Security moves the focus to the other side of deployment, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring, incident response, and adjusting security based on actual usage and attack vectors experienced. While both techniques function to provide a twofold security system, the way and when they go about addressing and confirming what to approve and where to go is what distinguishes them from one another. 

These are some key differences between “Shift Left” and “Shift Right” security. 

Most affected Industries by “Shift Left Attack”

Technology and Software Development Industries 

Technology and Software developing organizations use agile methodologies and DevOps practices, which include a lot of iterations for deployment. Developers are excessively using open-source libraries, automation tools, and CI/CD pipelines, which creates an entry point for attackers. 

Healthcare 

Recently, healthcare sectors have been moving towards the digital sectors. The use of Electronic Healthcare Records (EHRs), IoT-based equipment, and telehealth platforms is increasing on a daily basis. The possibility of an attack on this software is very high at early-stage development, which leads to the exposure of sensitive data such as patient details and disrupts the functioning in case of any digital medical equipment. 

In 2024, a ransomware attack was executed by the BlackCat/Alphv group against healthcare organizations in the US, preventing pharmacies and hospitals from processing claims and receiving payments. The attack resulted in expose of patient’s sensitive data, including diagnoses and treatments, and led to a $22 million ransom payment. 

Finance and Banking 

Financial institutions process sensitive data and transactions. They heavily rely on custom-built APIs, payment gateways, and third-party integrations, leading to complex software. Vulnerabilities within these systems, when recognized early on, become the low-hanging fruit for bad actors seeking to extract funds or access information. 

A real-life example of a shift-left attack in the finance and banking industry occurred in 2023 when attackers targeted a major European financial institution’s CI/CD pipelines. The attackers injected malicious scripts into Jenkins, a widely used CI/CD tool, during the early stages of software development. By exploiting vulnerabilities in pipeline configurations, the attackers gained unauthorized access to sensitive systems and customer data. 

Why are “Shift Left” attacks so appealing to attackers? 

Lack of Detection

Most security tools only cover the production environment, and since the vulnerabilities are injected at an earlier stage of SDLC, they simply do not get detected. 

Research indicates that identifying vulnerabilities in the later stages of the SDLC can increase remediation costs by up to 30 times compared to addressing them during development. Moreover, up to 85% of vulnerabilities are introduced in the design and coding phases, yet they often go undetected until deployment due to the lack of integrated security measures earlier in the pipeline.

Wide-Range Impact 

Organizations often depend on outdated or inactive open-source components, with 91% of codebases containing components that were 10 or more versions out of date and 49% of codebases containing components that had no development activity within the past two years. Nearly a quarter of codebases had vulnerabilities that were more than 10 years old. Any specific vulnerability due to the absence of security measures could impact numerous deployments and instances. 

Persistent Backdoor

Errors such as the Introduction of vulnerable dependencies, poor dependencies management techniques, improper validation of code changes, failure to apply security patches for known vulnerabilities, etc., are produced by the developer during his/her development phase. 

Taking this as an advantage, attackers inject fake code into the developer’s system so that the injected code may continue running in a hidden manner. It provides access to an intruder who can maintain access to and control over the system for a long time. 

How do Shift Left Attacks happen?

As we mentioned above, the “Shift Left” attack targets the earlier stages of development. There is a wide range of attack surface layers that can be exploited, each presenting different vulnerabilities. These layers span across the entire software development lifecycle, starting from the development environment and extending through the CI/CD pipeline to production. Attackers can infiltrate at various stages, such as through compromised code repositories, malicious third-party dependencies, misconfigurations in CI/CD pipelines, and weaknesses in runtime environments. By understanding and securing each of these attack surface layers, organizations can mitigate potential threats and ensure that vulnerabilities are detected and addressed early in the development process. 

The attackers used some of the following methods: 

Code Repository Compromise 

Nowadays, many software projects are hosted on platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, making these platforms a center of attraction for malicious actors. 

Now, using these version control platforms, the hosted repository becomes relatively easier for cybercriminals to attack, and they can simply get access to those repositories and inject malware into them by changing their configurations or embedding it within the repository. 

Example:  In February 2024, attackers created over 100,000 malicious repositories by forking reputable ones (for example, TwitterFollowBot, WhatsappBOT, discord-boost-tool, Twitch-Follow-Bot, and hundreds more) and injecting malicious code into them. This tactic, known as a “repository confusion attack,” targeted developers who might unknowingly clone and execute these altered repositories, potentially exposing sensitive data or infecting their systems. 

Exploiting Third-Party Dependencies

Most developers use a lot of open-source libraries or packages anyway. Therefore, these dependencies provide a very attractive target for an attacker, so they usually inject malicious code into very popular libraries on package managers such as npm or PyPI. The developers download these packages to make their jobs easier without thinking about the consequences of using dependencies. Sometimes, the malicious code is hidden in the dependencies that developers import onto their code. 

Example: In September 2023, Sonatype discovered a malicious campaign targeting npm and PyPI ecosystems, revealing 14 compromised npm packages designed to steal sensitive developer data. After a short pause on September 16-17, the attacks resumed and extended to PyPI, with attackers employing tactics like typosquatting to deceive developers into downloading the malicious packages. These packages collected sensitive information such as SSH keys and Kubernetes configurations, posing significant risks to software supply chains. 

Compromising Developer’s workstation

This can be done by phishing the developer into taking over their workstation via a trojan IDE or by embedding a backdoor in other development tools. If they gain access to a developer’s workstation, then they can modify code, extract credentials stored in RAM to use them for further infiltration, malware, or ransomware delivery, and change core security parameters that an attacker thinks will make the system even more vulnerable. This exposes developers to external threats, data exposure, system downtime, brand adverse perception, and tremendous expense. 

Example: The SolarWinds hack (2020) targeted the development environment to insert malicious code into legitimate software updates, causing widespread disruption. 

Typosquatting and Dependency Confusion 

If you are well-versed in security offloading, then you should have heard about typosquatting and dependency confusion, where the attacker publishes a fake package with a similar name (e.g., lodash → lod4sh) or malicious high-version package overshadowing a private one. These weaknesses exist due to the cause of automated dependency resolution found in tools like npm or PyPi. 

Automation Tools for Detecting Dependency Confusion or Misconfiguration 

• DepenFusion

  This tool automates the detection of dependency confusion vulnerabilities, particularly in Node.js (npm) projects. DepenFusion scans for package-related inconsistencies and prevents potential exploitation in supply chains.

• Depfuzzer

  Depfuzzer is designed to identify and automate the detection of dependency confusion vulnerabilities across multiple package files, providing insights into potential risks in project dependencies.

• Kubeaudit

  An open-source tool for auditing Kubernetes clusters, Kubeaudit identifies misconfigurations and security issues, ensuring Kubernetes deployments align with best practices.

• Trivy

  A comprehensive vulnerability scanner that supports Kubernetes, Docker, and IaC files. Trivy detects misconfigurations and security issues across a wide range of platforms and environments.

Example: For example, in the year 2021, dependency confusion attacks revealed that even the most protected internal systems of companies such as Apple or Microsoft could be compromised, as fake packages exist that can be used to substitute their genuine private dependencies. 

Corrupting CI/CD Pipelines 

CI/CD processes that build and/or deploy applications are also a common target, as these can be exploited by loading JavaScript files, altering the software build, or simply removing any compromise that can otherwise safeguard secrets. Such actions may result in the disclosure of sensitive data or modification to entire builds. 

Example:  In April 2021, Codecov discovered that its Bash Uploader script had been compromised due to a misconfiguration in its Docker image creation process, allowing unauthorized access to modify the script. This tampered script enabled attackers to exfiltrate sensitive data from user’s environments, sending it to an external server.

Exploiting Development-Environment Misconfigurations 

There is an exposure sense when it comes to development setup and components such as exposed secrets, local Docker or Kubernetes insecure setups, and cloud-based IDEs. Such vulnerabilities provide an opportunity for the attackers to obtain source codes or, even worse, user credentials. At times, the developer creates loopholes for attackers when he misses out on some sensitive information while writing the code, or you do not harden your Docker and Kubernetes environment well enough.

Example: In 2017, a significant data breach occurred at Uber due to AWS credentials being publicly available on an open-source GitHub repository. Unauthorized third parties accessed the credentials, causing the leak of sensitive information. The case portrays how a mismanaged cloud service or exposed secrets in a development environment can result in a security breach to firms. 

Create and submit malicious Pull Requests (PRs) 

Attackers insert malware in pull requests (PRs) or other open-source projects that do not serve as primary to evade human eyes. This can be restricted via automated scans for known vulnerabilities and requires multiple approvals on all PRs. 

Example: In 2020, a malicious pull request was posed to the Node.js project by one of the attackers who tried to implant a backdoor into the project’s repository. 

Don’t become a Casualty of “Shift Left” attacks.

To prevent any attack of “Shift Left,” security controls should be applied during the software development life cycle. Here’s how organizations could safeguard against it: 

Secure Development Practices 

Implementing secure development practices requires a structured approach that integrates security into all phases of the software development lifecycle (SDL). Organizations should start by defining security requirements early, conducting threat modeling, and including security reviews during design and development. Regular training on secure coding practices, such as avoiding hardcoding sensitive data and following OWASP Secure Coding Guidelines, helps developers understand and mitigate risks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). 

Shift Security Left 

Adopting a shift-left approach by adding security testing in the CI/CD pipeline can help you safeguard yourself from a “Shift Left Attack.” developers and testers perform different kinds of tests, such as static application security testing (SAST) tools like SonarQube, which can detect vulnerabilities in source code early in the development process. These tools should be integrated into CI/CD pipelines for continuous scanning. Runtime testing is performed with DAST tools like OWASP ZAP and Acunetix, which replicate real attacks to find vulnerabilities such as misconfigurations and injections. In short, the two testing approaches together build a complete security assessment. 

Hardening CI/CD Pipelines

CI/CD pipelines are one of the top targets for attackers, and hardening them is the first step in avoiding vulnerabilities. Immutable infrastructure ensures that there are no unwanted changes during runtime, as all changes would require a new build. Secure secrets management tools from a reputed organization can safely store and rotate sensitive credentials, avoiding the risks associated with hardcoding them in pipeline scripts.  

Additionally, isolating CI/CD pipelines, such as separating production and development environments with strict access controls, prevents lateral movement by attackers. Cryptographic code signing for all build artifacts ensures their authenticity, while tools like Snyk or Dependabot continuously monitor dependencies for vulnerabilities and keep them updated. Using containerized or ephemeral build environments adds an extra layer of security by minimizing exposure to persistent threats. 

Supply Chain Security 

Supply chain security is also critical in preventing “Shift Left” attacks. Tools like OWASP Dependency-Check and practices like maintaining a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) are pivotal in safeguarding the software supply chain against vulnerabilities and malicious attacks. Use only signed packages to preserve your code base. Finally, ensure that the latest security patch is applied to all the dependencies. 

Access Control 

Establishing security controls (access privileges) for a development and production environment RBAC has been key in minimizing the effects of any breaches. The organizations that did implement strong RBAC policies were able to curb the exfiltration of data in insider threat scenarios by 67%, according to a recent study. For instance, in one healthcare organization, RBAC limited unauthorized access to sensitive patient information during a ransomware attack, preventing widespread breaches. 

Likewise, MFA is incredibly successful at preventing breaches. As per Microsoft, 99% of the cyberattacks related to passwords can be blocked by Multi-Factor Authentication, significantly reducing the risks of phishing or any credential-based fraud. In one significant instance, the MFA prevented a phishing attack from compromising thousands of user accounts at a large financial institution during a targeted attack campaign. MFA ensures compliance and has become a requirement under regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, among many others. 

What is Shift Left Security, and why is it important? 

Shift Left Security is the concept of addressing security early in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) instead of treating security when the application is almost complete. Instead, by shifting security responsibilities to the left, developers can find and fix vulnerabilities at the earliest stages, minimizing risks and reducing the potential for costly security issues later on. Such methodology not only improves the overall security posture of applications but also helps organizations to improve efficiencies and reduce time-to-market, thereby lowering the cost of remediation. As cyber threats continue to grow in complexity and frequency, Shift Left Security is an increasingly important strategy for organizations looking to develop secure and resilient software. 

We have discussed some key benefits of Shift Left Security. 

Early Detection of Vulnerabilities 

This is one of the major benefits of Shift Left Security, as it allows you to notice vulnerabilities earlier in the development lifecycle. Integrating security practices in the design and coding stages can help detect security problems before they get embedded into the application. By identifying potential vulnerabilities in the development phase, developers can address them before they can be exploited, which minimizes the risk of costly rework or significant breaches down the line. 

Finding vulnerabilities at early stages not only saves time and resources but also ensures that security is maintained during the development. It becomes part of the development process, leading to a more secure product from the outset. 

Cost-Effective Security 

Addressing security issues early in the lifecycle is generally more cost-effective compared to fixing problems after deployment. The cost of fixing security flaws increases exponentially as the project moves closer to production.  

With Shift Left Security, vulnerabilities are fixed before they are deployed, avoiding the high costs of patching post-deployment issues, such as downtime, reputation damage, and compliance violations. It also reduces the need for emergency security measures, which are typically more expensive and resource-intensive. 

Improved Collaboration between Teams 

Shift Left Security encourages better communication between the development, operations, and security teams. When security is integrated into the development process, security professionals collaborate with developers from the beginning, promoting a common understanding of risks and security requirements. This ensures that security is not just the responsibility of a single team but integrated into the workflow of the entire development lifecycle. 

Better Software Quality and Reliability

By addressing security concerns during the early stages, Shift Left Security also enhances the overall quality and reliability of the software. Developers are encouraged to write secure code from the start, which leads to fewer bugs and vulnerabilities in the final product.  

When security is integrated into the development process, the code is more reliable, reducing the likelihood of failures and crashes in production. This proactive approach ensures that security and quality are treated as equally important components, leading to better-performing software with fewer security flaws. 

Challenges while implementing Shift Left Security 

Shift Left Security has become a proactive way to incorporate security practices in the early stages of the software development lifecycle. Enterprises can help prevent vulnerabilities and improve product reliability by embedding security practices into the design, coding, and testing stages. However, transitioning to this methodology does not come without challenges. 

Here are the main challenges enterprises face when shifting left and how they affect the path to secure and efficient development. 

Resistance to Cultural Change

From a cultural perspective, Shift Left security is a large and necessary change, as it requires the team to take ownership of security and collaborate closely with all parts of the organization.  

The disturbing fact is that between development, operations, and even security teams, there is resistance to change that can hinder collaboration. Security tasks can be seen as overhead by the developers and take away their attention from the actual development work. At the same time, the security teams would struggle to give up their centralized control and move to a more integrated role. This friction can cause an ill impact on the adoption process and can hinder the effectiveness of Shift Left Security initiatives. 

Skill Gaps in Development Teams

A lot of developers do not have formal education in secure coding principles and vulnerability detection, both of which are critical to the process of Shift Left Security. This skills gap can result in inefficiencies and errors, as developers might lack the depth of understanding or simply not prioritize security concerns. 

To address this issue, organizations need to invest in reskilling their teams through training programs and workshops, a process that can be time-consuming as well as resource– intensive. Failing to address these gaps can lead to issues with the quality of security implementation. 

Delay in Initial Delivery 

Embedding shift left security in the development lifecycle may initially slow down the delivery of features. Teams unfamiliar with the new tools and processes may face a learning curve, leading to delays in project timelines. Organizations that face tight deadlines or competitive pressure may find this especially hard. But over time, as teams find their footing and methods are streamlined, early slowdowns can lead to faster and more secure development cycles down the road. 

Speed and Security Balance 

The challenge is to strike the right balance between speed and security. More security means slower development cycles and delayed product releases. Conversely, deprioritizing security to meet timelines can result in unresolved vulnerabilities, resulting in an increased exposure to breaches. Achieving this balance requires careful planning, prioritization, and the right tools to ensure security without compromising productivity. 

Tooling and Automation Challenges

Powerful instruments to automate security testing and integrate into developer pipelines are critical to effective Shift Left Security. Picking the right tools, setting them up the right way, and keeping them running smoothly is hard. Inadequately made tools can raise false positives and negatives, causing confusion, unnecessary work, and mistrust in automated testing. Organizations need to evaluate tools carefully and invest in constant maintenance to ensure accurate and actionable outcomes. 

Conclusion 

“Shift Left” attacks target the early stages of the SDLC, providing the attackers opportunities to inject weaknesses or foreign codes that will stay throughout the production line up to the delivery of the end product. Development processes are prone to certain risks, and as they become faster, the risks associated with delayed security measures grow. By shifting security measures to the left, vulnerabilities can be detected early, reducing the cost and impact of potential breaches. 

Implementing secure software development processes, shifting left security integrated within CI/CD pipelines, strengthening supply chain security, and implementing access restrictions are the main ways to mitigate “Shift Left” attacks. These advanced technologies require that all organizations implement a security strategy at all stages of the development process. 

Looking ahead, the evolving nature of cyber threats underscores the need for continuous vigilance. As attackers innovate and find new ways to exploit systems, organizations must remain proactive, regularly updating their defenses and fostering a security-first culture. Only through constant adaptation and a forward-thinking approach can businesses effectively protect their development pipelines and maintain resilience against emerging challenges.