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TH17107

Detected presence of files containing URLs related to Bitcoin exchange services.

priorityCI/CD statusseverityeffortRL levelRL assessment
passhighhighNoneNone

About the issue​

Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) are structured addresses that point to locations and assets on the internet. URLs allow software developers to build complex applications that exchange data with servers that can be hosted in multiple geographical regions. URLs can commonly be found embedded in documentation, configuration files, source code and compiled binaries. Bitcoin (BTC) is a digital currency that uses peer-to-peer technology to facilitate instant payments on the web. Bitcoin exchanges allow their customers to trade cryptocurrencies or digital currencies for other assets, such as conventional fiat money or other digital currencies. Financially motivated actors often include references to cryptocurrency exchanges in their code. Ransomware victims are instructed to visit Bitcoin exchanges to acquire the digital currency. Bitcoin is the most common payment method accepted by attackers in exchange for decrypting the user-generated data that is held for ransom. While presence of Bitcoin exchange service references does not imply malicious intent, all of its uses in a software package should be documented and approved. Only select applications should consider keeping track of Bitcoin exchange websites.

How to resolve the issue​

  • Investigate reported detections.
  • If the software should not include these network references, investigate your build and release environment for software supply chain compromise.
  • You should delay the software release until the investigation is completed, or until the issue is risk accepted.
  • Consider removing all references to flagged network locations.