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.
On Friday, the Python Package Index (PyPI), repository of open source Python projects announced plans to rollout two factor authentication for maintainers of "critical" projects. Although many praised the move, the developer of a popular Python project decided to delete his code from PyPI in retaliation. [...]
Django, an open source Python-based web framework has patched a high severity vulnerability in its latest releases. Tracked as CVE-2022-34265, the potential SQL Injection vulnerability impacts Django's main branch, and versions 4.1 (currently in beta), 4.0, and 3.2, with patches and new releases issued fixing the vulnerability. [...]
Kaspersky has launched a new information hub to help with their open-source stalkerware detection tool named TinyCheck, created in 2019 to help people detect if their devices are being monitored. [...]