Google releases vulnerability disclosure guidelines for open source projects
Recently, Google has released guidelines on coordinated vulnerability disclosure in open source projects, aiming to popularize knowledge related to open source security, which “was originally designed to help open source projects coming out of Google, so not all materials or recommendations may be applicable to your project.”
The guide mainly includes 3 parts:
- Guide to coordinated vulnerability disclosure for open source projects: This contains background material on vulnerability disclosure, the steps to the CVD process, considerations for the decision points of the process, and “troubleshooting” for common scenarios.
- Templates: These will help you get started with the communication components of CVD. This includes
SECURITY.mdtemplates, embargoed notification and vulnerability disclosure.- Runbook: A step-by-step for the CVD process. For additional information on these steps, refer to the Guide.
Successfully coordinated vulnerability disclosure for open source projects usually depends on good process management and clear and thoughtful communication. Users do not need to be experts in operating system functions to understand how the reporter uses the vulnerability disclosure policy, pre-determined strategies, perfect templates, and good operating manuals that can help discover, patch, and disclose most types of vulnerabilities.
Finally, Google said that in today’s industry, due to the dependence on the supply chain, even improving security in an open-source project will produce several times the overall effect. Vulnerability disclosure is a key aspect of the overall security situation, and it hopes that open source projects will follow this guide to jointly improve open source security.
