Open Source Software
Open Source Software (OSS) is a form ofcomputer software designed and licensed to grant multiple parties increasedaccess. This includes the ability to study, change, and distribute the codehowever they see fit. It is estimated that OSS adoption saves $60 billion dollars for consumers each year.This might explain why about 96% of all commercial applicationscontain elements of OSS.
Open Source Vulnerabilities
Any code is vulnerable to exploits, a fewcharacters the developers accidentally wrote can expose their code to maliciousintent. Attackers can exploit these coding errors and gain benefits in the formof increased access. Scenarios of hackers exploiting coding vulnerabilitiesinclude rendering the software unusable online like in Denial Of Service (DoS)attacks or acquiring more access than the developer intended users to have suchas remote file access.
What makes OSS more vulnerable than aproprietary code developed in house is the fact that it’s a distributed system.When a code is developed in house, it is much easier to monitor it and keepstrict policies and security protocols than when it is developed by manydifferent individuals with no specific authority.
Due to their popular and open nature, lines of code are added to open source projects very rapidly which often leads to a code of lesser quality. In many scenarios, by the time a release cycle is checked for bugs and vulnerabilities, a new one is already out, rendering the last release cycle obsolete and the check performed almost useless. This means the code that many open source projects rely on has many security risks in forms of vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. In addition, many smaller companies prefer to use open source since it’s cheaper and faster. Typically, these companies can only channel fewer resources into scanning their code for potential vulnerabilities which also adds to the risk of using open source.
Ways to Find and Fix Open SourceVulnerabilities
The best way to fix the vulnerabilities ofopen source would have been to keep all the codes and libraries up to date withthe latest patches and fixes at all times. However, with so many users and thespeed at which release cycles are introduced, this solution is mostlyimpractical. Therefore, it is important to know the best ways to find and fixopen source vulnerabilities.
Here are 8 ways that you can findand fix open source vulnerabilities.
1. Find open source componentswithin your code
In order to find and fix open sourcevulnerabilities, you first need to find and identify which components of yoursoftware contain components of open source code. Only after you identified allopen source components within your software you can start checking themvulnerabilities within the code.
2. Check your code for existingvulnerabilities
The first thing to do after identifying opensource components is Checking the code within your inventory for existingvulnerabilities. Now that you know how common can vulnerabilities be within theopen source code, you understand how important it is to frequently check forvulnerabilities and apply the necessary fixes. This can be accomplishedmanually, which can prove time-consuming and troublesome. Luckily, varioustools offer automation for this process.
3. Educate employees to identifyrisks
One of the most efficient methods to fend offyour product from vulnerabilities of open source code is to educate youremployees in the dangers of adopting it within the software. Making sure allemployees follow security protocols when they use open source code and identifyrisks themselves can greatly reduce the risk of vulnerabilities finding theirway into the code in the first place.
4. Enforce strict security rulesand protocol standards
Another way to make sure your employees onlyallow safe open source components into the software is to enforce strictsecurity policies. Doing so will improve the security of your product becauseyour developers will have to prove the open source components they areinterested in are safe to use and don’t include any vulnerabilities beforeimplementing them inside the build.
5. Use updated libraries
Using updated libraries with current fixes andsecurity patches is a great way to ensure the code you are using isn’tvulnerable to existing exploits and threats. While this method isn’tbulletproof, it does improve the chances the code you are implementing issecure. As opposed to old and obsolete libraries which are more vulnerable toexisting exploits.
6. Update frequently
Many vulnerabilities and exploits are oftenexposed only after certain amounts of time. This means that even though youthought your software is safe to use it actually isn’t. This is why it’simportant to continuously improve and deliver updates and fixes to your producteven after being released. There are some tools available in the market thatcan automate this process for you by checking when a new Common Vulnerabilityand Exposure (CVE) threatens your software and alert you about it.
7 Learn about common and dangerous vulnerabilities
The popularity of open-source projects meansany vulnerability hackers can find and exploit can be used on a large number ofsystems, making the open-source project a prime target for hackers. Byunderstanding the current biggest CVE trends, you can take the necessary stepsto ensure those vulnerabilities don’t exist in your software.
One noteworthy example of a known open sourcevulnerability is the Heartbleed vulnerability. In 2014, CVE-2014-0160, a vulnerability within theheartbeat extension (RFC 6520) of OpenSSL caused by a common coding error,became publicly known as the Heartbleed vulnerability. OpenSSL, an open sourcelibrary providing security for 66% of the web servers. Essentially, because ofhow popular OpenSSL was at the time, two-thirds of all the world’s web trafficwas exposed to this vulnerability. The fact that a project of this magnitudewas maintained by only two part-time developers, which clearly didn’t have enoughtime to identify weaknesses, had a big part in shaping how importantcybersecurity is today.
8. Use security tools
Partly because of Heartbleed vulnerability andother incidents like it the market for cybersecurity has grown substantially.Many tools to improve security within open source frameworks have beenintroduced. Today, wide availability of solutions are designed to automate theprocess of dealing with security vulnerabilities in open source components.Some tools discover open source componentsin your code, alert you of vulnerabilities they find and notify you when a newfixing patch is released so you can apply it immediately.
Conclusion
Implementing components from open sourceprojects into your code can expose your software to many securityvulnerabilities and put your product at risk. Even popular project like seen inOpenSSL can have security issues. Therefore, it is crucial to familiarizeyourself with the best ways to find and fix open source vulnerabilities so youcould implement them and secure your project.
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