The Summer of Clearinghouses: A Critical Analysis
In the past few weeks, there has been a surge in the announcement of clearinghouses, with many organizations, including Chainguard, introducing their own versions. However, the author argues that the focus should be on the underlying infrastructure, rather than the clearinghouses themselves. The key insight is that the clearinghouse is merely a front door to a pre-existing vulnerability database, which is the real value proposition.
The author emphasizes that the clearinghouse is not the solution to the problem of vulnerability management. Instead, the real challenge lies in the actuation process, which involves turning vulnerability findings into actionable patches. Chainguard has been doing this for years, and the clearinghouse is simply a new interface to access the same database.
The author then delves into the reasons behind the surge in clearinghouse announcements. It is not a trend, but rather a response to the increasing number of private vulnerabilities in open-source software. The author explains that this is a byproduct of the use of large language models, which can find vulnerabilities in code that is not under the control of the organization.
The author argues that the real value lies in the ability to orchestrate vulnerability disclosure, rather than in the coordination of vulnerability findings. The author uses the example of the log4j vulnerability to illustrate the importance of an orchestration layer, which can automate the process of fixing vulnerabilities and reduce the risk of exploitation.
The author concludes by emphasizing the importance of secure by design, which involves building secure software from the ground up, rather than relying on clearinghouses and other reactive measures. The author acknowledges that this is a long-term solution, but argues that it is the only way to truly address the problem of vulnerability management.
