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Is the Software Supply Chain Corrupted #shorts
Is the Software Supply Chain Corrupted? #shorts
No, but maybe because really no one's checking. Researcher Alex Birsan made waves this week with a technique that abuses the software supply chain. When you're writing code, you build on the work of others and have a list of the building blocks that your software needs. As your software is being built to deliver to your users, the tools go out and look for these blocks to bundle the whole thing together into a finished program.
Building blocks should be stored privately and checked to ensure that they're safe, but that doesn't happen often. Usually, these components are pulled directly from the internet. Birsan's technique uses the way that build tools prioritize where they get each building block to compromise other people's software.
Security is a foundational part of development, not an afterthought. It's time to start acting like it.
Keywords
- Software supply chain
- Alex Birsan
- Code dependencies
- Security
- Build tools
- Internet
- Development
FAQ
Q: Who made waves with a technique that abuses the software supply chain?
A: Researcher Alex Birsan.
Q: What is a common practice when writing code?
A: Building on the work of others and using required building blocks.
Q: What should be done with building blocks to ensure they're safe?
A: They should be stored privately and checked.
Q: How are building blocks usually retrieved?
A: They are usually pulled directly from the internet.
Q: What does Birsan's technique exploit?
A: It exploits the way build tools prioritize where they get each building block.
Q: What is a critical aspect of software development that should not be an afterthought?
A: Security.