Effective open source vulnerability remediation and license compliance require systematic processes, the use of industry standards and community collaboration. Here’s how our team tackles this complex landscape.

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Overview of Process: Two-Month Sprints

  • Bi-Monthly Audit Cycles
    Every eight weeks, we compile all reported vulnerabilities from two main sources:
    • CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), tracked via the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
      ↳ CVE provides globally unique identifiers for publicly disclosed security flaws, maintained by MITRE and ingested into the NVD by NIST.
    • Black Duck narrative: “nspect” scans
      ↳ Utilizing Black Duck SCA, which analyzes open source dependencies (including direct, transitive, binary, and snippet-based) to detect both security vulnerabilities and license obligations.
  • Cross-Referencing & Consolidation
    We merge findings from NVD and Black Duck into a single master list. This includes:
    • the affected module, version in use,
    • the fixed version where the vulnerability is resolved,
    • severity scores (e.g., via CVSS or Black Duck Security Advisories),
    • license type (MIT, Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, etc.)

This combined view enables coherent risk prioritization and action planning.

Remediation Strategy: Beyond Cherry-Picking

  • Patch Backporting
    Initially, we incorporated fixes by cherry-picking patches into our current software versions. This works short-term - but soon becomes untenable, as patches depend on newer upstream code.
  • Upgrades Over Patches
    Over time, we found it most reliable to upgrade to the latest stable version of each open source component. This minimizes technical debt and ensures consistency with upstream security practices.
  • Community Contribution
    Where feasible, we contribute patches back to the open source ecosystem. If our internal familiarity is insufficient, we report issues to the community and leverage their domain expertise for proper resolution.

License Compliance & Downstream Disclosures

  • Automated License Reporting
    Using our own scripts for license scanning, we generate a comprehensive Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), listing each module, version, and associated license. This ensures full transparency and supports compliance with obligations - from MIT to GPL to proprietary terms.
  • Downstream Adjustments
    Some packages incorporate custom, customer-specific changes - what we term “downstream versions”. For such components, we package and provide the source as tarballs to customers, ensuring alignment with open source licensing and auditability.

Community & Ecosystem Context

  • Open Source Communities
    Open source thrives on collaboration. Communities range from independent GitHub projects to large foundations. Reporting vulnerabilities respectfully and waiting for community-curated fixes ensures sustainable security—and benefits everyone.
  • NIST, CVE & NVD
    NIST’s NVD is the authoritative vulnerability database; MITRE’s CVE system underpins it. However, NVD enrichments can lag - Black Duck offers real-time alerts and deeper metadata, helping bridge the gap.
  • Black Duck & SCA Tools
    According to studies, different SCA tools can vary widely in which vulnerabilities they detect. Black Duck stands out by combining:
    • multi-layer scanning (source, binaries, snippets),
    • license compliance,
    • enriched security intelligence beyond CVE/NVD,
    • CI/CD integration for policy enforcement.

Actionable Protocols & Governance

Each vulnerability cycle results in an action plan with prioritized tasks:

  1. Assess risk - severity, exploitability, exposure
  2. Locate fixes - identify fixed versions or patches
  3. Upgrade - where upstream releases exist
  4. Patch/backport - for downstream or slow-moving projects
  5. Contribute - report issues or submit PRs to the community
  6. Verify - re-scan post-remediation
  7. Document - update SBOM, change logs, compliance records

Where upstream fixes are absent and dependencies are legacy, we:

  • consider vendor support contracts,
  • use alternative libraries, or
  • isolate faulty modules until they are resolved.

Why This Matters

Open source software powers modern innovation - but with that power comes accountability. Without consistent scanning and strong governance:

  • Critical vulnerabilities may go unnoticed
  • License risks may result in legal exposure
  • Accumulated tech debt can cripple agility

Our strategy - combining cycle-based scanning, combined reporting, upgrade-first remediation, and community collaboration - ensures we maintain secure, compliant, and sustainable use of open source across all our software products. We believe this discipline positions us as trusted technology stewards within our industry.

We offer advanced cybersecurity solutions for businesses. If you need help with implementing security compliance, auditing existing projects or any other cybersecurity aspect, contact us via the form below and let's schedule a meeting with one of our experts.