Open source software is software that gives users access to the source code of the program, allowing them to modify, improve, and distribute it. Open source software has been a driving force of innovation and collaboration in the software industry, enabling the development of many popular and widely used technologies.
In this article, we will review some of the latest news and developments in the open source software world in 2023, covering topics such as new projects, security issues, awards, and trends.
New Projects
One of the exciting aspects of open source software is the constant emergence of new projects that aim to solve various problems or provide new features. Here are some of the notable new open source projects that were launched or gained popularity in 2023:
- Bun: Bun is a new programming language that combines the simplicity and expressiveness of JavaScript with the performance and reliability of Rust. Bun is designed to be easy to learn, write, and read, while also being fast, safe, and cross-platform. Bun supports both imperative and functional programming paradigms, as well as concurrency and parallelism. Bun is still in development, but it has already attracted a lot of attention and interest from developers who are looking for a modern and versatile language.
- teler-waf: teler-waf is a security-focused HTTP middleware for the Go framework that provides protection against common web attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), remote file inclusion (RFI), local file inclusion (LFI), and more. teler-waf uses a rule-based engine to detect and block malicious requests, as well as a dashboard to monitor and analyze traffic. teler-waf is easy to integrate with any Go web application and can be customized to suit different needs.
- Safeurl: Safeurl is a library that brings server-side request forgery (SSRF) protection to Go applications. SSRF is a type of attack where an attacker can trick a server into making requests to arbitrary URLs, potentially exposing sensitive information or compromising internal systems. Safeurl prevents SSRF by validating and sanitizing URLs before making requests, using a whitelist of allowed schemes, domains, ports, and paths. Safeurl also supports proxying requests through a SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy for additional security.
Security Issues
Open source software is not immune to security vulnerabilities and threats, and 2023 was no exception. Several open source projects faced serious security issues that required urgent patches or updates. Here are some of the most critical security issues that affected open source software in 2023:
- Log4j: Log4j is a popular logging library for Java applications that allows developers to easily record events and messages. In December 2022, a severe remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability was discovered in Log4j versions 2.x, which could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a vulnerable server by sending a specially crafted string to the logging system. The vulnerability was dubbed Log4Shell and was assigned the highest severity score of 10 by the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS). The vulnerability was widely exploited by hackers who targeted various organizations and systems using Log4j, such as Minecraft servers, Apache Solr servers, Jenkins servers, and more. The Log4j developers quickly released patches and mitigations for the vulnerability, but the impact was still significant and widespread.
- ClamAV: ClamAV is an open source anti-malware scanner that can detect viruses, trojans, worms, ransomware, and other malicious software. In February 2023, a serious buffer overflow vulnerability was found in ClamAV versions 0.103.0 and 0.103.1, which could allow an attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition or execute arbitrary code on a vulnerable system by sending a malformed email attachment to the scanner. The vulnerability was reported by Cisco Talos researchers who also provided a proof-of-concept exploit. The ClamAV developers released version 0.103.2 that fixed the vulnerability.
- Git: Git is the most widely used version control system for software development, allowing developers to track changes and collaborate on projects. In January 2023, two critical overflow bugs were discovered in Git versions prior to 2.34.1, which could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on a vulnerable system by sending a specially crafted repository or object to Git. The bugs were reported by Google Project Zero researchers who also provided exploit code. The Git developers released version 2.34.1 that fixed the bugs.
Awards
Every year, various organizations and publications recognize the best and most innovative open source software projects with awards and honors. Here are some of the awards that were given to open source software projects in 2023:
- Bossie Awards: The Bossie Awards are presented by InfoWorld, a leading online publication for IT professionals and decision makers. The Bossie Awards celebrate the best open source software for software development, data management, analytics, AI, and machine learning. Some of the winners of the 2023 Bossie Awards include Apache Hudi, Apache Iceberg, Apache Superset, Bun, and SpEL.1
- Open Source Awards: The Open Source Awards are presented by GitHub, the largest online platform for hosting and collaborating on open source projects. The Open Source Awards honor the most influential and impactful open source projects and contributors across six categories: Community Choice, Developer Productivity, Emerging Technology, Enterprise Solution, Social Impact, and Security. Some of the winners of the 2023 Open Source Awards include TensorFlow, Kubernetes, React, Django, PyTorch, and OWASP ZAP.
- Open Source Software Security Awards: The Open Source Software Security Awards are presented by The Daily Swig, a leading online publication for web security news and analysis. The Open Source Software Security Awards recognize the best open source software projects that contribute to improving the security of web applications and systems. Some of the winners of the 2023 Open Source Software Security Awards include teler-waf, Safeurl, NodeBB, and Mastodon.
Trends
Open source software is constantly evolving and adapting to the changing needs and demands of the software industry and users. Here are some of the trends that shaped the open source software landscape in 2023:
- Open Data Lake: An open data lake is a data storage and processing platform that uses open source technologies to enable scalable, flexible, and cost-effective data analytics on large volumes of structured and unstructured data. An open data lake combines the advantages of a data lake (such as schema-on-read, data diversity, and low-cost storage) with the advantages of open source software (such as interoperability, innovation, and community support). Some of the key open source technologies that power open data lakes include Apache Hudi, Apache Iceberg, Apache Superset, Apache Spark, Apache Flink, Presto, StarRocks, and more.
- Large Language Models: Large language models (LLMs) are deep learning models that can generate natural language text based on a given input or prompt. LLMs have achieved impressive results in various natural language processing (NLP) tasks such as text summarization, text generation, question answering, sentiment analysis, and more. LLMs are also capable of generating creative and diverse content such as poems, stories, code, essays, songs, celebrity parodies, and more. Some of the popular LLMs that are available as open source software include GPT-3, GPT-J, GPT-Neo, Megatron-LM, BART, T5, and more.
- Open Source Alignment: Open source alignment is a concept that refers to the degree to which a company or organization supports and contributes to open source software. Open source alignment can be measured by various factors such as the number of open source projects created or maintained by a company or organization, the number of employees or members who are involved in open source communities or initiatives, the amount of resources or funds allocated to open source development or sponsorship, the adoption of open source licenses or standards, and more. Open source alignment can bring various benefits to a company or organization such as increased innovation, collaboration, reputation, customer satisfaction, and social impact. Many companies and organizations have recognized the importance and value of being open source aligned and have taken steps to increase their open source involvement and commitment.
Conclusion
Open source software is a dynamic and diverse field that offers many opportunities and challenges for developers and users alike. In 2023, we witnessed many new developments and achievements in the open source software world that showcased its potential and impact. We also saw some security issues and threats that highlighted its risks and vulnerabilities. We also observed some trends and patterns that indicated its direction and future.
As we enter 2024, we can expect more news and events in the open source software world that will keep us informed and engaged. We can also look forward to more innovations and collaborations that will make open source software better and more accessible for everyone.