Summary: The article discusses the enduring issues of software supply-chain security, highlighting a recent major attack on open source software through the XZ project. It reviews the history of software vulnerabilities, the consequences of supply-chain attacks, and the need for improved security measures such as authentication, vulnerability scanning, and the adoption of safer programming languages. The importance of funding open source projects to prevent security weaknesses is emphasized, drawing parallels to past incidents like Heartbleed. The author advocates for ongoing efforts to bolster defenses against potential attacks, as many fundamental security challenges persist in the industry.
https://cacm.acm.org/practice/fifty-years-of-open-source-software-supply-chain-security/