Companies turn a blind eye to open source risk
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2017-5638 | Unauthenticated RCE in Apache Struts Jakarta Multipart parser CVE-2017-5638 is an improper input validation flaw (CWE-20) in the Jakarta Multipart parser of Apache Struts, in which the parser mishandles the Content-Type value of a file upload and allows malicious upload leading to remote code execution. It is triggered remotely without authentication by sending a crafted Content-Type header in a multipart request to a Struts endpoint; no valid upload or credentials are required. A successful attacker gains code execution in the security context of the application server, which typically enables host compromise, data theft, or ransomware deployment. Any organization running Apache Struts applications that use the Jakarta Multipart parser is affected; the provided data specifies only "Apache Struts" and gives no version ranges. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: the flaw is listed in CISA KEV (added 2021-11-03) with known ransomware use, EPSS assigns it roughly a 100% exploitation probability (100th percentile), and no public PoC is catalogued in the source data. Do: Apply updates per vendor instructions: upgrade Apache Struts to the releases that fix this flaw (2.3.32 / 2.5.10.1 or later, per Apache advisory S2-045), and check for Struts jars bundled inside application packages and vendor appliances. Prioritize internet-facing apps, and as an interim mitigation validate or filter the Content-Type header on multipart requests. Because exploitation is in the wild and ransomware use is known, also review web and application server logs for evidence of successful compromise. | 9.8 | 100% | KEV ransomware PoC ×10 |
| masslikely hundreds of thousands of deployments (tens of thousands of Struts hosts were internet-exposed in public scans) |
Full article416 words · extracted from helpnetsecurity.com · click to collapse
Though open source software (OSS) helps software suppliers be nimble and build products faster, there are hidden software supply chain risks all software suppliers and IoT manufacturers should know about.
For instance, criminals who potentially gained access to the personal data of the Equifax customers exploited an Apache Struts CVE-2017-5638 vulnerability. Apache Struts is a widely used open source component – a framework for Web servers – used by companies in commercial and in-house systems to take in and serve up data. The use case of this open source component makes it a prime target for cyberattacks.
Key findings
Wile as much as 50 percent of all code found in commercial and IoT software products is open source, according to a new Flexera report:
No OSS policy is bad policy: Only 37 percent of respondents have an open source acquisition or usage policy. 63 percent say either their companies don’t have an open source acquisition or usage policy, or they don’t know if one exists.
No one’s in charge of OSS: 39 percent of respondents said that either no one within their company is responsible for open source compliance – or that they don’t know who is.
OSS contributors aren’t following best practices: 33 percent or respondents say their companies contribute to open source projects. But, of the 63 percent who say their companies don’t have an open source acquisition or usage policy, 43 percent said they contribute to open source projects.
“We can’t lose sight that open source is indeed a clear win. Ready-to-go code gets products out the door faster, which is important given the lightning pace of the software space,” said Jeff Luszcz, Vice President of Product Management at Flexera. “However, most software engineers don’t track open source use, and most software executives don’t realize there’s a gap and a security/compliance risk.”
Report takeaway for software and IoT companies? Your processes for managing open source security and licensing haven’t kept pace with open source’s rapid adoption – and it’s putting you and your customers at risk.
“Open source processes protect products and brand reputation. But, most software and IoT vendors don’t realize there is a problem, so they’re not protecting themselves and their customers,” said Luszcz. “This endangers the entire software supply chain – for the vendors whose products are exposed to compliance and vulnerability risk. And also for their customers who most likely don’t even know they’re running open source and other third-party software, or that it may contain software vulnerabilities.”
Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2017/10/17/open-source-risk/