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In discovering malicious code that endangered global networks in open-source software, Andres Freund exposed our reliance on insecure, volunteer-maintained tech
German software developer Andres Freund was running some detailed performance tests last month when he noticed odd behavior in a little known program. What he found when he investigated has sent shudders across the software world and drawn attention from tech executives and government officials. Freund, who works for Microsoft out of San Francisco, discovered that the latest version of the open source software program XZ Utils had been deliberately sabotaged by one of its developers, a move that could have carved out a secret door to millions of servers across the internet.
A Microsoft software developer reportedly uncovered a deliberate act of sabotage within a program, sparking alarm among tech leaders and U.S. government officials.
Cyberattack: Security experts say it's only because Freund spotted the change before the latest version of XZ had been widely deployed that the world was spared a digital security crisis.
Patient threat actor nearly got attack into the software supply chain.