Officials and tech industry on edge over near-miss cyberattack concerns

TLDR:

• Microsoft developer, Andres Freund, discovered a potential cyberattack in open-source software XZ Utils.
• The incident highlights the vulnerability of open-source software and the need for increased security measures.

German software developer Andres Freund discovered a near-miss cyberattack in the open-source software program XZ Utils. The software had been sabotaged by a developer, introducing a backdoor that could have led to a digital security crisis. This incident has raised concerns about the safety of open-source software, which forms the foundation of the internet economy. Experts believe the developer responsible for the sabotage, identified as Jia Tan, may have been working for a powerful intelligence service. The incident has prompted discussions among government officials and cybersecurity experts on how to better protect open-source code in the future.