Last month, German software developer Andres Freund, employed by Microsoft, made a startling discovery during performance tests.
He found that the latest version of the open source program XZ Utils had been intentionally tampered with by one of its developers. This sabotage could have potentially created a backdoor into millions of servers worldwide, sparking concern among tech executives and government officials alike.
Freund’s quick detection of the sabotage prevented a major digital security crisis, according to security experts. The incident has reignited discussions about the safety of open source software, which forms the backbone of the internet economy due to its transparency and flexibility.
Source: Reuters