Open source software is a golden opportunity for new and small users. These open source software are considered as the foundation of modern technology. Students, teachers, businessmen and various officials working in the office enjoy the benefits of using these open source software. Every one of us is benefiting more or less by using these softwares. Anyway, now we come to the point. We enjoy the convenience of using these free software but the security risks are very high.
Meanwhile, we are getting open source software not cheap but completely free. These softwares can pose security risks to your personal life and business at any time, so our aim in this blog is to inform you all about open source softwares so that you can easily use them and avoid their security risks.
Table of Contents
What is Open Source Software?
Open source software is software that is open to anyone to inspect, use and modify. It allows users to customize the software according to their needs instead of buying or creating new software. It is kept in public repositories like GitHub that are open to everyone and are separate from privately owned software. An estimated 90% or more of companies build their software using open source code. There are companies that develop proprietary software and open some of the source code to be transparent to everyone, but it is not usable by everyone. Some of the most popular open-source software given below:
- Linux – Kernel used by many operating systems (e.g., Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora)
- Mozilla Firefox – A privacy-focused and highly customizable web browser
- LibreOffice – Full office suite (word processor, spreadsheet, presentations)
- WordPress – The world’s most popular CMS, great for blogs and websites
- Visual Studio Code – Lightweight but powerful code editor from Microsoft
- GIMP – Image editor, similar to Photoshop
- MySQL – Widely used relational database management system
- Rocket.Chat – Customizable team chat solution
- Jupyter Notebook – Interactive computing environment for Python
- Wireshark – Network protocol analyzer for packet inspection
What Are Open-Source Software Security Risks?
Open source software security risks refer to vulnerabilities, potential exploits, and malicious threats Which can destroy your device, data and privacy. It is definitely different from proprietary software and its source codes can be accessed by everyone which has many advantages and disadvantages. Because short codes are visible to everyone, hackers can know which parts of the code have vulnerabilities and how to attack them, so they can access them very easily.
Common Security Risks in Open-Source Software
Before using open source software, you should be aware of its security risks. The security risks that you may face by using these software are discussed:
1. Code Vulnerabilities
A code vulnerability refers to an error in a part of the code or the use of incorrect code. Attackers use it to launch attacks very easily. But most of the time users and contributors can identify these vulnerabilities. Currently the source community is very active about patching. However, vulnerabilities may persist if not properly monitored.
2. Lack of Security Maintenance
Since there is no active person or organization to maintain open source software, there is a considerable lack of security. Some software may be deprecated or some code may need to be updated but because of lack of maintainers it is left as it is so vulnerabilities remain. Outdated and backdated software can put systems at high risk of attack.
3. Malicious Code Injections
Since open source software can easily be viewed and used by any user, there is potential for attackers to inject malicious code which is very easy for them so this software code must be reviewed well before using it. Many times these malicious codes go undetected but later spread to other software and devices during use, posing a threat to users.
4. License and regulatory risk
Open source projects always come with licenses. Hence consent is required before using them. There may also be various other regulations that failure to comply with could lead to legal problems or unintended software vulnerabilities. It is very important to understand and comply with the licenses of open source software as failure to do so can put you at risk at any time. Unfortunately, the truth is that most of the users use them as they wish without being aware of them.
5. Bad developer practices
Contributors to open source software projects do not always follow the best security practices. Which can be very risky for the users as they themselves can indulge in hacking or similar evil activities. There are many developers who do not properly review errors and use unpredicted functions while building open source software. As much as we get the benefits in these softwares, the security risks are also very high.
6. Weak Authentication and Authorization Mechanisms
The Open Systems Software Project has several software that do not have strong security mechanisms for authentication and authorization. Therefore, attackers can gain access very easily, which is very dangerous for users.
Why Open-Source Software Security Risks Matter
The consequences of ignoring open source software security risks can be severe. The risks you may be exposed to are discussed below:
- Data Breaches: Vulnerabilities in software critical and sensitive that authorized access can be easily gained by attackers can spread the influence among business and user masses causing huge losses.
- Service Downtime: A security attack can stop your business activity at any time which will cause a lot of damage to your business.
- Legal Liabilities: Non-compliance with the license or data breach in using the software can get you into legal trouble. Companies can sue you or fine you.
- Financial Losses: If your security is breached you may lose essential data which may cost you a lot of money to recover.
How to mitigating Open-Source Software Security Risks
- Regular Vulnerability Scanning: Regularly use vulnerability scanning tools ( like Snyk, OWASP Dependency-Check) to find software vulnerabilities
- Use Trusted Sources:Download software from popular and well-known sources or from official repositories such as GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.
- Prioritize Software Maintenance: Consider maintaining the software first. If you fail, consider switching to alternatives.
- Monitor for Malicious Code Injections: Keep an eye on the latest software updates and read the new release notes so you can find solutions to all problems and be alerted to possible code injection.
- Implement Secure Development Practices: Implement practices to develop software code securely by rigorously reviewing the code before deploying it.
- Ensure Compliance with Open-Source Licenses: Understand and comply with all terms of the software.
- Stay Updated with Security Patches:Be sure to install security patches and follow security advisories to stay abreast of new vulnerabilities and patches
Conclusion
It is absolutely impossible to survive today without open source software as we more or less depend on it. As much as it has its benefits, it also poses security risks. You can stay safe by understanding and studying these risks and then using them. You should always be alert to avoid risks, have regular updates and follow best practices.
We have tried to inform you about the security risks of open source software and its remedies through our blog, hope you have benefited.