Blog
Risk Management
open source software risks

7 Major Risks Of Open-Source Software & Mitigation Strategies

Jan 16, 2025
open source software risks

Open source software (OSS) has gained popularity due to its accessibility, rich functionality, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility. These advantages make OSS an attractive choice for many, but it is also considered an inherently riskier option. For example, Gilad David Maayan, Security Today, notes:

Open-source is a bit more chaotic, with contributors adding new features and improving the software all the time.” 

So, are OSS riskier to use than custom code? Not necessarily. Both come with their own vulnerabilities. However, OSS often gets labeled as a “breach magnet” because many organizations lack visibility into the open source components integrated into their architecture.

TL;DR

Open source software can pose risks like open vulnerabilities, poor software quality, licensing issues, unnotified changes, etc.

Implementing measures like tracking OSS components, monitoring vulnerability databases, and patching promptly can mitigate many OSS risks.

Protecting against supply chain attacks in open source involves secure sourcing, regular audits, dependency pinning, and using automated tools for updates and scans.
Get your basics right.

OSS: Open Source Software (OSS) is software whose source code is made publicly available, allowing anyone to view, modify, and distribute it under the terms of its license.
Key characteristics of OSS: Transparent, developed collaboratively, highly customizable, free to use, freedom to license. 
Examples: Linux, Ubuntu, Python, PHP, Git, MySQL, Apache, Ruby. 

What are open-source software risks?

Open-source software (OSS) risks primarily revolve around security vulnerabilities, intellectual property issues, and quality inconsistencies. Attackers make use of vulnerabilities in open source, while improper handling of licenses can lead to legal complications.

Additionally, the transfer of vulnerabilities through unvetted code, software supply chain attacks, and unnotified changes can introduce significant security risks. Poor quality control in some OSS projects further exacerbates these issues. 

The following highlights the risks posed by OSS and insights on how to mitigate them. 

1. Exposed vulnerabilities

Most security vulnerabilities relating to the open-source software are available to the public through sites like National Vulnerability Database by NIST, CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), GitHub Security Advisories, etc. 

While this is useful for public consumption, let’s not forget that the public also includes attackers constantly looking for easy-to-exploit vulnerabilities. So, if you’re an organization that hasn’t patched the software yet, you may get on the ‘easy’ list for attackers. 

How can you mitigate risks from known vulnerabilities?

Quick action and vigilance are key to staying off attackers’ radar when it comes to exposed vulnerabilities in OSS. But it’s not that basic. Here are some steps you must be taking if you’re business is using such tools:

  1. Track all OSS components: Maintain an up-to-date inventory with tools like SCA to monitor all components and dependencies.
  2. Monitor vulnerability databases: Regularly check sources like NVD, CVE, and GitHub Security Advisories for new vulnerabilities.
  3. Patch promptly: Apply patches when vulnerabilities are disclosed, prioritizing high-severity risks.
  4. Use Defense in Depth (DiD): Implement multiple security layers (firewalls, IDS, endpoint protection) to reduce exposure.
  5. Train your teams: Your staff must be educated on secure practices and vulnerability management.

2. Infringement of intellectual property

Open-source software is distributed under multiple licenses, such as GPL, MIT, Apache, etc. Each license has specific conditions on how the software can be used, modified, and redistributed. This may cause licensing issues for organizations when using OSS and may cause Intellectual Property (IP) infringement. 

Such problems are mainly caused when OSS license terms are ignored or combined with other incompatible licenses, which may lead to compliance issues. Lack of attribution or failure to provide credit can also result in legal action. 

How can you use OSS solve IP infringement?

On a general level, your employees must be aware of the types of licenses covered by common OSS to avoid IP infringement. Management must also ensure that all open-source components’ licenses are tracked and documented. 

Open-source license compliance software like FOSSology and Black Duck can also mitigate IP infringement risks. You can also consider consulting with legal experts to navigate complex licensing issues. 

3. Transfer of vulnerabilities

A common risk when using OSS is the transfer of vulnerabilities through careless practices, such as developers copying and pasting code directly from open-source repositories without proper vetting.

If copied code contains vulnerabilities, these flaws are transferred into the new project your organization may be handling. Once the external code is integrated without proper documentation or version control, it becomes difficult to update or monitor for future vulnerabilities.

How can you solve security issues and avoid vulnerability transfers?

As a rule of thumb, avoid copy-pasting open-source code. Here are some standard best practices you can use to avoid the transfer of vulnerabilities while using open-source software:

  • Before integration, constantly review and test external code to ensure it is free from known vulnerabilities.
  • Keep records of all third-party code added to the project, including its source and version.
  • Conduct periodic security audits to identify and patch vulnerabilities introduced through external code.
  • Use tools like Snyk or Dependabot to automatically scan for vulnerabilities in imported code.

4. Software supply chain attacks

Software supply chain attacks target the process of acquiring and integrating third-party software components into a project.

In the context of OSS, this commonly happens as name confusion attacks. They are a type of software supply chain attack because they exploit the software supply chain’s trust in third-party components. Developers are tricked into downloading and integrating malicious or compromised libraries, packages, or dependencies instead of legitimate ones.

There are three main types of name confusion attacks:

  • Typo-squatting: Attackers create packages with names similar to legitimate ones, relying on typographical errors by developers to install the malicious version.
  • Brand-jacking: Malicious packages are presented as coming from reputable or well-known authors or organizations.
  • Combo-squatting: Combining elements of trusted package names and common naming patterns to create deceptive names.

How can you avoid software supply chain attacks?

For starters, developers must maintain a secure, up-to-date inventory of all dependencies and ensure they are sourcing them from trusted repositories. Tools like Dependabot, Snyk, or OSS Review Toolkit can automate updates and scan for vulnerabilities

Implement strict access controls and adopt practices like pinning dependencies to specific versions to prevent unintentional updates to compromised packages. Furthermore, security audits and code reviews should be regularly conducted to verify the integrity of OSS components before integration.

5. Poor software quality

There is no guarantee that open-source software will adhere to software development best practices. It may not use a standard versioning scheme, maintain a regression test suite, or follow strict code review guidelines. These practices are often not followed. 

This lack of rigor can result in unreliable or insecure components, making the software more prone to bugs, performance issues, and security vulnerabilities. Without proper documentation and quality assurance, it becomes challenging for organizations to trust the software’s reliability, increasing the risk of integration failures and security breaches.

How can you cope with security issues caused by poor OSS quality? 

Projects with a strong maintenance track record and active community support usually adhere to development best practices like proper versioning and testing. But that’s not enough. Here are some more precautions to take: 

  • Conduct code reviews: Manually review the source code of critical OSS components to identify potential security flaws or poor coding practices.
  • Use security tools: Implement static code analyzers, dependency scanners, and fuzz testing to detect vulnerabilities and coding issues.
  • Isolate the OSS: Run OSS components in isolated environments (e.g., containers) to minimize the impact of any potential flaws.
  • Engage with the OSS community: Report bugs, suggest improvements, and contribute to the project’s quality, enhancing its overall security posture and reliability.

6. Unnotified changes

Unnotified Changes in open-source software pose a great deal of risk for developers and businesses. It arises when changes are made to an OSS component without proper communication or notification to users. This can lead to unexpected disruptions, compatibility issues, or security vulnerabilities. 

Your developers may unknowingly integrate a modified version of a library or framework that introduces bugs or removes critical functionality, affecting the application’s overall reliability. 

In some cases, these changes may also introduce new security vulnerabilities not present in previous versions, exposing the business to attacks.

What steps must developers take to cope with unnotified changes?

Developers should use tools like Dependabot or GitHub Security Advisories to stay informed about updates and changes in the OSS components they rely on. Furthermore, specify exact versions of dependencies to prevent automatic updates to unnotified or potentially problematic changes.

Staying connected with the OSS community through forums, issue trackers, or mailing lists to be notified of upcoming changes or patches also helps. 

7. Compromise of a legitimate package

Sometimes, attackers target and take control of trusted software components or the infrastructure used to distribute them. This is known as the compromise of a legitimate package. It usually happens in two main ways:

  1. Hijacking the project maintainers’ account: If attackers gain access to the accounts of legitimate maintainers of an open-source project (e.g., through phishing, weak passwords, etc.), they can upload malicious code into the project’s repository, making it appear as a trusted update. Developers downloading or integrating the “updated” component may unknowingly introduce malware or security vulnerabilities into their systems.
  2. Exploiting package repository vulnerabilities: Attackers may also target vulnerabilities within package distribution platforms (such as npm, PyPI, or GitHub) to inject malicious code into packages, even if the maintainers’ accounts have not been compromised. 

How do we detect and avoid vulnerabilities from a legitimate source?

Legitimate packages being compromised can be highly dangerous, making it harder for developers to detect and avoid. Here are some ways this can be avoided:

  • Pin-specific versions: Specify exact versions of dependencies in your configuration files (e.g., `package.json`, `requirements.txt`) to avoid unintended updates that may include malicious changes.
  • Check for authenticity: Verify the authenticity of the package and its maintainers by checking for official channels or GitHub profiles and examining the community’s activity around the project.
  • Prefer official repositories: Use well-established and trusted package managers (e.g., npm, PyPI, Maven) and avoid using unverified or unofficial sources.
  • Integrate continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines: Set up automated security testing in your CI/CD pipeline to detect malicious code or vulnerabilities in the packages as soon as they are integrated into your codebase.

Tapping into the benefits of open source while avoiding its risks

Despite the above risks, there are a lot of opportunities provided by open-source software which when used correctly by GRC (Governance, risk, and compliance) leaders or CISOs, can prove profitable for businesses. 

Open-source software (OSS) offers several key benefits when used effectively, including:

  • Cost efficiency: OSS eliminates the need for expensive licensing fees. Instead, you can reallocate funds to other critical areas while still accessing high-quality software.
  • Customize and adapt: With full access to the source code, you can modify OSS to fit their specific requirements better. It comes with unparalleled flexibility as compared to proprietary software.
  • Accelerate innovation: Open-source projects evolve quickly through global collaboration. You can tap into the latest features and improvements much faster.
  • Leverage community support: OSS communities provide valuable resources such as forums, documentation, and solutions to common problems. You can reduce your reliance on external vendors and enable quick issue resolution.
  • Ensure security transparency: OSS’s open nature allows you to independently audit code, ensure that you can actively manage security vulnerabilities, and implement necessary fixes.

Going forward with caution

We’re not going to deny that avoiding the use of OSS in the 21st century is nearly impossible. With so many resources and tools available, it’d be foolish not to take advantage of them. 

However, to go forward with open source in a secure and compliant way, the key lies in implementing a strong risk management framework. GRC leaders must prioritize the development of clear governance policies that outline how OSS will be evaluated, selected, and monitored across the organization. 

For example, Sprinto serves as a powerful Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) platform that brings visibility, accountability, and structured processes to mitigate OSS risks. Here’s how it helps:

1. Sets up visibility and accountability: You can track every OSS component in your infrastructure using powerful integrations (or API) to monitor their risks constantly. You can also create your custom risks and add them to the risk register while assigning risk owners. 

2. Integrates with the incident and vulnerability management tools: Once integrated, you’ll get real-time alerts and treatment plans on patch management, updating licenses, etc. 

3. Configures checks and change management: You can configure automated checks and enforce change management workflows to ensure that OSS code is properly reviewed and approved before integration.

4. Monitors continuously in a holistic dashboard: Sprinto supports continuous monitoring of your infrastructure so that controls remain effective and any deviations are promptly addressed. 

Hence, with the right governance framework and strategic use of automation, businesses can confidently navigate open source challenges, mitigate risks, and fully capitalize on its advantages.

Monitor risks in real-time

Frequently asked questions

1. Are open-source software bad?

No, open-source software (OSS) is not inherently bad. OSS offers numerous benefits, such as cost-effectiveness, flexibility, transparency, and a collaborative development model. However, like any software, it comes with risks, including security vulnerabilities and licensing challenges.

2. What are open source vulnerabilities? 

Open-source vulnerabilities are security flaws or weaknesses in open-source software components that can be easily exploited by attackers if not monitored. They’re often publicly disclosed, which can be both an advantage (for transparency and quick resolution) and a risk (as attackers can also access this information).

3. What is the difference between open-source and proprietary software?

The primary difference between open-source and proprietary software lies in accessibility and licensing. OSS is publicly available, allowing users to view, modify, and distribute the source code under specific licenses, whereas proprietary software is developed by companies that retain exclusive rights to the code. They limit users to the functionality provided without access to the underlying source code.

Pansy

Pansy

Pansy is an ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity content marketer with a background in Computer Science engineering. Lately, she has been exploring the world of marketing through the lens of GRC (Governance, risk & compliance) with Sprinto. When she’s not working, she’s either deeply engrossed in political fiction or honing her culinary skills. You may also find her sunbathing on a beach or hiking through a dense forest.

How useful was this post?

0/5 - (0 votes)