The new requirements set uniform standards for repository security.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has announced a collaboration with the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) working group. The organizations introduced a joint platform for ensuring the security of package repositories.
The new framework, called "Principles for Package Repository Security", offers basic rules for package management and is aimed at strengthening the protection of the open source software ecosystem.
OpenSSF emphasizes the critical role of package repositories in preventing and mitigating attacks, pointing out that even simple measures, such as having a documented account recovery policy, can significantly improve security. At the same time, you need to take into account the resource limitations of repositories, many of which are managed by non-profit organizations.
The framework defines four levels of repository security in four categories: authentication, authorization, shared capabilities, and command-line tools:
The authors of the new framework, Jack Cable and Zach Steindler, note that all package management ecosystems should strive to reach at least level 1.
The main goal is to allow package repositories to independently assess their security level and develop a plan to gradually strengthen their security mechanisms.
The development of the framework comes amid warnings from the US Health Sector Cyber Security Coordination Center (HC3) about security risks associated with the use of open source software for maintaining medical records, inventory management, prescribing and billing.
"Despite the fact that open source software is the foundation of modern software development, it is also often the most vulnerable link in the software supply chain," says the HC3 report, published in December 2023.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has announced a collaboration with the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) working group. The organizations introduced a joint platform for ensuring the security of package repositories.
The new framework, called "Principles for Package Repository Security", offers basic rules for package management and is aimed at strengthening the protection of the open source software ecosystem.
OpenSSF emphasizes the critical role of package repositories in preventing and mitigating attacks, pointing out that even simple measures, such as having a documented account recovery policy, can significantly improve security. At the same time, you need to take into account the resource limitations of repositories, many of which are managed by non-profit organizations.
The framework defines four levels of repository security in four categories: authentication, authorization, shared capabilities, and command-line tools:
- Level 0 corresponds to the minimum security level;
- Level 1 provides basic security, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and vulnerability reporting capabilities;
- Level 2 provides moderate security, requiring MFA for mission-critical packages and warning users about known vulnerabilities;
- Level 3 means an advanced level of security that requires MFA for all accompanying operations and support for verifying the origin of package assemblies.
The authors of the new framework, Jack Cable and Zach Steindler, note that all package management ecosystems should strive to reach at least level 1.
The main goal is to allow package repositories to independently assess their security level and develop a plan to gradually strengthen their security mechanisms.
The development of the framework comes amid warnings from the US Health Sector Cyber Security Coordination Center (HC3) about security risks associated with the use of open source software for maintaining medical records, inventory management, prescribing and billing.
"Despite the fact that open source software is the foundation of modern software development, it is also often the most vulnerable link in the software supply chain," says the HC3 report, published in December 2023.
