Open-source software enables code review and reuse, but known vulnerabilities and unmaintained dependencies can create cybersecurity risks.
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Background for this topic.
Open source is software whose source code is available under a license that permits use, inspection, modification, and redistribution. It may be developed by a community, an organization, or a small group of maintainers; “open” does not guarantee that the code is actively reviewed, supported, or secure.
For security teams, the main concerns are vulnerabilities in dependencies and the software supply chain: a maintainer account, release process, or package can be compromised, while an unmaintained component may retain known flaws. Public code can enable review and faster fixes, but visibility alone is not a control. Maintain an inventory or SBOM of open-source components, pin and verify versions or signatures where possible, monitor vulnerability advisories, and apply updates through a controlled process.
Much of the open source code embedded in enterprise software stacks comes from small, under-resourced, volunteer-run projects.
Threat actors are now taking advantage of GitHub's search functionality to trick unsuspecting users looking for popular repositories into downloading spurious counterparts that serve malware
Europe's Cyber Resilience Act Pressures Open-Source Foundations and ManufacturersFoundations housing seven large open-source projects are banding together ahead of what they say is a nearly impossible 2027 deadline created by Europe's Cyber Resilience Act - the world's first digital supply chain regulation. European Union lawmakers approved the act in March.