Open Source Security

Josh talks to Gergely Nagy (algernon) about his tool Iocaine. Iocaine creates a maze to trap scraping bots in a world a fake pages they cannot escape. algernon tells us how Iocaine effectively traps bots by serving them endless loops of nonsensical URLs and web pages. It's an extremely clever tool that's designed to be completely hidden from normal users, but not hidden to the scrapers. The show n...

Josh chats with Xe Iaso, the creator of Anubis the web AI firewall. We discuss how Anubis is tackling bots and scrapers. The discussion around the scrapers is fascinating and challenging, these things are everywhere and don't behave very nicely. There's also discussion about running a successful open source project. Xe has a lot of experience to share with us, you're going to learn something new w...

Josh talk to Dirkjan and Joe about Rustls (pronounced rustles), a Rust-based TLS library. Dirkjan and Joe are developers on Rustls. We talk about the history that got us to this point. The many many challenges in writing a TLS library (Rust or not). We also chat about some of what's to come. Rustls has an OpenSSL compatibility layer which makes is a really interesting project. The show notes and b...

Josh welcomes back Daniel Thompson explore the rather silly question of whether Santa Claus needs to be compliant with the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). This episode was intended to be silly, but it ended up being an incredibly interesting conversation. Daniel explained a great deal about how the CRA works and how it could apply to Santa Claus. The TL;DR is even if he's giving out free stuff, the CR...

Josh has a chat with Gabriele Columbro, Executive Director of the Fintech Open Source Foundation and General Manager of Linux Foundation Europe. We of course discuss the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), the evolving landscape of open source regulation, and the collaborative efforts of major foundations. Open source is everywhere, but there's also a ton of work to do now. Gabriele has really good insigh...

Josh discusses updating open source dependencies with Jamie Tanna. Jamie works on Renovate which gives them a lot of insight into the challenges of keeping your open source updated. We discuss the challenges of semantic versioning, supply chain security, and AI-generated code. If you're new or old to the world of open source dependencies, there's something to learn from this chat. The show notes a...

Josh discusses the TARmageddon vulnerability with Alex Zenla, CTO of Edera. In this episode, we explore the discovery of the TARmageddon vulnerability. It's especially interesting because it's Rust, but also involves multiple end of life crates. Alex shares the story of how Edera managed to figure all this out (it was not simple). Hard problems are still hard, but there's a lot of lessons in this...

In this episode Seth Larson gives us a cornucopia of topics relating to Python security. Seth discusses the Python Software Foundation's decision to reject a significant grant NSF. Diversity is a big deal to python, so this was a no brainier. We discuss the upcoming PyCon US conference, featuring a new security track that fosters collaboration between developers and security experts. Josh is a hug...

Josh talks to Richard Hughes about the world of firmware. We cover how Richard's journey from developing the ColorHug led to the creation of the Linux Vendor Firmware Service (LVFS), changing how firmware updates are managed for nearly every Linux user. Updating firmware has always been dicey, and on Linux it used to be impossible. Richard helps us understand how this all works and how we can all...

Josh chats with Charlie Eriksen, a security researcher at Aikido Security. We discuss the recent NPM supply chain attacks that affect hundreds of packages. Charlie shares his experiences dealing with recent security breaches, the challenges of maintaining trust in open source software, and the importance of proactive measures to safeguard open source. The rapid pace of change is impacting our secu...

In this episode, Josh and Otto dive into the world of Debian packaging, exploring the challenges of supply chain security and the importance of transparency in open source projects. They discuss Otto's blog post about the XZ backdoor and how it's a nearly impossible attack to detect. Otto does a great job breaking down an incredibly complex problem into understandable pieces. The show notes and bl...

In this conversation, Josh speaks with Mikael Barbero, head of security at the Eclipse Foundation. They discuss the foundation's role in enhancing the security posture of open source projects, the importance of Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs), and the various security services provided to projects. Mikael explains the challenges and strategies involved in implementing security best practices ac...

I chat with Joshua Rogers about a blog post he wrote as well as some bugs he submitted to the curl project. Joshua explains how he went searching for some AI tools to help find security bugs, and found out they can work, if you're a competent human. We discuss the challenges of finding effective tools, the importance of human oversight in triaging vulnerabilities, and how to submit those bugs to o...

Brian Fox discusses the challenges and future of open source package repository infrastructure. We discuss the complexities of managing public registries, the impact of overconsumption, and the importance of sustainable practices in the open source community. Brian tells us how organizations can reduce their footprint and contribute to a more balanced ecosystem. The package repositories cannot con...

Join us for a conversation with Foxboron (Morten Linderud) and Anthraxx (Levente Polyak), members of the Arch Linux security team. We talk about the difficulties of maintaining a Linux distribution, the challenges of handling CVEs, and the dedication of volunteers who keep the open-source community working (and how overworked those volunteers are). We explain what makes Arch a little different, ho...

I discuss all things OpenSSL with Hana Andersen and Anton Arapov from the OpenSSL Corporation. Discover the intricacies of organizing the first-ever OpenSSL conference in Prague, the importance of post-quantum cryptography, and the evolution of OpenSSL from a small team to a global community. Whether you're a seasoned cryptographer or just curious about the future of secure communications, this ep...

In this episode I discuss the Python Software Foundation with Deb Nicholson. We discuss their contributions to the Python programming community. Learn how this dedicated organization supports the growth and innovation of Python, fostering an ecosystem for developers worldwide. Everything funding open-source projects to organizing community events, discover the initiatives that make the Python Soft...

In this episode, we the information system mapping tool Mercator with Didier Barzin, a CISO at a hospital in Luxembourg. Discover how Mercator revolutionizes the way organizations map their complex information systems. From hospitals to universities and even the banking sector. Mercator helps manage and protect vast networks by creating dynamic, comprehensive maps that replace outdated Excel sheet...

In this episode, I discuss into the security features of Talos Linux with Andrey Smirnov. Andrey explains how Talos focuses on its immutability and minimal attack surface. Discover how these enhancements fortify your systems against vulnerabilities, ensuring a secure and resilient infrastructure. Join us as we explore the security advancements that make Talos Linux not only a super easy way to run...

In this episode I chat with the authors of a recent paper on open source security: Open Source, Open Threats? Investigating Security Challenges in Open-Source Software. I chat with Ali Akhavani and Behzad Ousat about their findings. There are interesting data points in the paper such as a 98% increase in reported vulnerabilities compared to a 25% growth in open source ecosystems. We discuss the ch...

In this episode we discuss crates.io trusted publishing with Tobias Bieniek. We cover the steps crates.io is taking to enhance supply chain security through trusted publishing, a method that leverages short-lived tokens and GitHub actions to safeguard against unauthorized access. Tobias shares insights into the challenges of managing a large-scale open-source repository, offering a glimpse into th...

In this episode I chat with Patrick Garrity from VulnCheck. We discuss the chaos that has enveloped the CVE and NVD programs over the past two years. We cover some of the transparency and communication challenges with the existing program. What some of the new things that have started to emerge as well as why they seem to be struggling. We end on the note that the last 3 months haven't been confid...

In this episode I discuss GCVE and Vulnerability-Lookup with Alex and Cedric from CIRCL. GCVE offers a decentralized approach, allowing organizations to assign their own IDs and publish vulnerabilities independently. Vulnerability-Lookup is the tool that makes GCVE a reality. The flexibility addresses many of the limitations we see today with a single centralized ID system. The work happening by C...

In this episode, we dive into the Product Liability Directive and Cyber Resilience Act with Daniel Thompson, CEO of Crab Nebula. The EU's new legislative framework impacts manufacturers in ways we don't totally understand, but are going to bring substantial changes to how companies use and develop open source. Daniel explains the broader implications for software security and the future of digital...

In this episode Jan Pleskac, CEO and co-founder of Tropic Square, shares insights on the challenges and innovations in creating open and auditable hardware. While most hardware is very closed, Tropic Square is working to change this. WE discuss how open source can enhance security, the complexities of integrating third-party technologies, and the future of secure computing devices. The show notes...