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feat(security): Add package name typosquatting detection #1059

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Implement typosquatting detection for package names during analysis. Compares package names against a list of popular packages using the Jaro-Winkler similarity algorithm. Packages exceeding a defined threshold of similarity to a popular package are flagged.

Summary

Adds typosquatting detection for package names during analysis using Jaro-Winkler similarity.

Description of changes

This PR introduces a new security analysis feature to detect potential typosquatting in package names. The implementation compares the name of a package being analyzed against a list of popular package names. By default, it uses a predefined list stored in a dedicated file, but it also offers an option to use a custom list provided via a configuration path.

The comparison utilizes the Jaro-Winkler similarity algorithm to calculate a similarity score between the package name and each name in the popular packages list. If the calculated similarity score exceeds a configurable threshold, the package is flagged as a potential typosquat.

This feature helps identify malicious packages attempting to mimic legitimate, popular ones through slight variations in spelling, thus enhancing the security posture of the project by warning users about such risks.

The changes include:

  • Integration of the Jaro-Winkler similarity algorithm.
  • Inclusion of a default file containing a list of popular package names for comparison.
  • Addition of a configuration option to provide a custom file path for the popular packages list, overriding the default.
  • Implementation of the comparison logic and threshold-based flagging.

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  • I have tested my changes and verified they work as expected.

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@oracle-contributor-agreement oracle-contributor-agreement bot added the OCA Required At least one contributor does not have an approved Oracle Contributor Agreement. label Apr 21, 2025
Amine and others added 2 commits April 23, 2025 09:28
Implement typosquatting detection for package names during analysis.
Compares package names against a list of popular packages using the Jaro-Winkler similarity algorithm.
Packages exceeding a defined threshold of similarity to a popular package are flagged.

Signed-off-by: Amine <[email protected]>
Adds a new security analysis feature to detect potential typosquatting in package names. Compares the package name against a list of popular packages using the Jaro-Winkler similarity algorithm. Packages exceeding a configurable threshold are flagged. Includes a default popular package list and an option for a custom list via configuration.

Signed-off-by: Amine <[email protected]>
Adds a new security analysis feature to detect potential typosquatting in package names. Compares the package name against a list of popular packages using the Jaro-Winkler similarity algorithm. Packages exceeding a configurable threshold are flagged. Includes a default popular package list and an option for a custom list via configuration.

Signed-off-by: Amine <[email protected]>
@behnazh-w behnazh-w requested review from art1f1c3R and benmss April 24, 2025 01:58
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@AmineRaouane Please add unit tests following the instructions here.

Take a look at the unit tests for other malware heuristics at tests/malware_analyzer/pypi/ and add a similar one for this new heuristic.

For small and standalone functions, you can add test cases to the docstring itself. You can find an example here.

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Would it be possible to make the path to the custom file list of packages configurable through defaults.ini? Our configurations for heuristic analyzers live under the [heuristic.pypi] section in the file. Check out some of the heuristics that use it to get an idea (anomalous_version.py, high_release_frequency.py), I do something similar with paths in the semgrep PR.

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