Security News > 2021 > December > Open-source software holds the key to solving Log4Shell-like problems

While open-source software doesn't guarantee a life free of vulnerabilities, it does guarantee fast response and remediation, which is crucial in the event of a large-scale security risk such as that brought on by Log4Shell.

Open-source software is defined as "Software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose." Some of the benefits of this are lower hardware costs, higher-quality software, flexibility, security, and transparency.

Having access to the source code and permission to alter it means that anyone can submit to the creator or maintainer desired changes to be included in the upstream software.

Closed-source software is not inherently safer that open-source software.

Closed-source software is more likely to have exploitable vulnerabilities in the wild for a longer time and will have a lengthier mean time to repair for those vulnerabilities.

Companies are also less likely to publicly report vulnerabilities in their closed-source software due to image and liability concerns, while open-source software is built on a model of transparency and openness.

News URL

https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/12/22/solving-log4shell-problems/