Earlier this week, Google started the official OSS Rebuild. Its aim is to improve the security of our global open-source package ecosystems. This new initiative is born out of a direct response to the increasing threat of software supply chain attacks. Public sector developers and organizations who utilize open-source software are particularly alarmed by these existential threats. By helping improve the overall security of open-source packages, Google aims to lessen risks related to these vulnerabilities.
OSS Rebuild is another sign of Google taking a proactive step to improve security for popular open-source packages that are widely used. Our new Security Engagement Initiative equips security teams to get the information they need to prevent future compromises. It helps to level-set expectations without increasing the burden on upstream maintainers. Software supply chain attacks are still a key issue. OSS Rebuild is rising to the occasion to be that indispensable force that ensures the integrity of open-source software is never compromised.
Enhancing Security Through Automation
One of the stand-out features of OSS Rebuild is its deeply-robust automation. Then, using heuristics, it attempts to create a build definition that works for those target packages. According to Google, it’s only through this rigorous methodology that they can really rebuild packages and guarantee their security and integrity.
“Through automation and heuristics, we determine a prospective build definition for a target package and rebuild it,” – Google
This method allows both developers and security teams to vet vulnerabilities introduced to new packages whilst still ensuring compatibility with upstream versions. The underlying technology ingests released metadata and artifacts, enabling deep comparisons to the upstream package versions.
Addressing Software Supply Chain Risks
The increasing number of software supply chain attacks have led Google to invest heavily to help secure open-source ecosystems. OSS Rebuild is primarily concerned with increasing the overall security posture of developers and organizations, and protecting against new threats that specifically target popular dependencies.
“As supply chain attacks continue to target widely-used dependencies, OSS Rebuild gives security teams powerful data to avoid compromise without burden on upstream maintainers,” – Matthew Suozzo, Google Open Source Security Team (GOSST)
Google’s initiative comes at an important time when security needs to be prioritized in open-source package ecosystems. This initiative goes beyond safeguarding Google’s infrastructure — it aims to provide a more secure ecosystem for developers and organizations that rely on open-source software.
Commitment to Open-Source Security
Google understands just how important it is to secure open-source packages—which is why we created the OSS Rebuild initiative. The ultimate aim is to strengthen the fabric of these ecosystems against vulnerabilities and threats, and bolster the security posture of open-source software as a whole.
OSS Rebuild’s launch represents a strong statement from Google that they are taking the complexities and challenges of software supply chain security seriously. By equipping developers and security teams with the tools necessary for proactive risk management, Google aims to foster a more resilient open-source community.