Open-source software enables code review and reuse, but known vulnerabilities and unmaintained dependencies can create cybersecurity risks.
Search across headline titles and summaries.
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.
The most recent iteration of the open source infostealer skates by antivirus programs on Macs, using an encryption mechanism stolen from Apple's own antivirus product.
Phylum's Product Delivers Real-Time Detection of Malicious Open-Source PackagesTo combat the rise in software supply chain attacks, Veracode has acquired Denver-area startup Phylum and its advanced tools to detect malicious open-source packages. The acquisition strengthens Veracode's software composition analysis offering and enables faster, more reliable threat mitigation.
Phylum's Product Delivers Real-Time Detection of Malicious Open-Source PackagesTo combat the rise in software supply chain attacks, Veracode has acquired Denver-area startup Phylum and its advanced tools to detect malicious open-source packages. The purchase strengthens Veracode's software composition analysis offering and enables faster, more reliable threat mitigation.
Flaw Enabled Signature Bypassing on Nuclei ProjectDiscoveryOpen-source vulnerability scanner Nuclei patched a critical flaw in its open-source vulnerability management tool ProjectDiscovery. Security firm Wiz uncovered the flaw, a signature verification system flaw that could allow attackers to execute malicious code using custom code templates.
Cybersecurity researchers have revealed several malicious packages on the npm registry that have been found impersonating the Nomic Foundation's Hardhat tool in order to steal sensitive data from developer systems