The Core Infrastructure Initiative revisited
Core Values
© Lead Image © Maxim Kazim, 123RF.com
How does the Core Infrastructure Initiative fare three years in?
The Linux Foundation started the Core Infrastructure Initiative (CII) [1] after the discovery of several security vulnerabilities in 2014. As serious as the bugs themselves was the discovery that many core Linux projects were unequipped to respond to them. The CII was started in an effort to alleviate and prevent such bugs in the future. But how is the CII doing three years after its founding? For answers, I talked with Nicko van Someren of the CII.
According to van Someren, 2014 was marked by the discovery of a number of vulnerabilities. They included the ShellShock bug in Bash and a denial of service attack through the Network Time Protocol. However, the bug that received the most public attention was Heartbleed [2], which had infected the OpenSSL cryptography library for two years before its discovery. As Heartbleed was patched, it became obvious that the OpenSSL project, like many other Linux packages, lacked both the funding and the developers to respond adequately to such a threat.
The discovery of Heartbleed – deliberately named to attract attention – marked "the realization as to just how dependent commercial software has become on open source components," van Someren says. "The urgency of Heartbleed meant that vendors needed to fix things immediately and needed to tell people why." However, the CII is not just the software equivalent of a fire department responding to each crisis as it emerges. "Our goal with identifying projects that are at risk is so that we can provide help and resources – before – there is an urgent problem," von Someren says.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
-
Linux Kernel 6.14 Released
The latest Linux kernel has arrived with extra Rust support and more.