Software supply-chain attacks exploit trust in code, components, suppliers, or the processes used to build and deliver software. Guarding against them means managing risk across development, purchasing, deployment, distribution, and maintenance—not relying on one tool or document. This article focuses on software supply chains; physical and logistics supply chains involve different risks and controls.
What is a software supply-chain attack?
It is an attack that takes advantage of a weakness or compromise somewhere in the chain involved in creating, supplying, or maintaining software. The target may be an organization’s own development process, a commercial supplier, an open-source dependency, a build or packaging process, or a channel used to deliver updates.
The risk does not end when software is installed. A component can later be found vulnerable, a supplier may disclose a newly discovered issue, or a product may stop receiving security fixes. Organizations therefore need to consider both how software enters their environment and how they respond to changes and disclosures over time. NIST’s Software Security in Supply Chains describes risk across these relationships and responsibilities.
Why is it difficult to guard against these attacks?
Software depends on other software
Modern products often combine internally developed code with commercial products and open-source components. An organization may not have direct visibility into every component or its dependencies. A widely used package is not automatically well maintained, free of vulnerabilities, or suitable for a particular use.
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Responsibility is spread across organizations
Producers, suppliers, purchasers, and operators control different parts of the chain. A software producer can strengthen development and release processes; a supplier can provide useful component and vulnerability information; a purchaser can set risk-appropriate expectations; and an operator can track deployed software and act on alerts. No single participant controls every link.
Inventory and assurance have limits
An inventory can be incomplete, especially for older software or software whose components were not recorded during development. A supplier statement or checklist may provide evidence about practices, but it is not proof that a product cannot be compromised. Controls reduce risk; they do not eliminate it.
What should an organization do first?
Start by identifying which software matters most and how it enters, runs in, and is maintained within the organization. Then strengthen controls in proportion to the software’s exposure and potential impact.
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- Map software and its role. Record software the organization develops, buys, deploys, and maintains. Include important commercial products, open-source components, and dependencies where known. Note where each is used and how critical it is to operations.
- Prioritize by risk. Give greater attention to software with high business impact, broad exposure, privileged access, or limited alternatives. Use that priority to decide where to request stronger supplier evidence, maintain more detailed inventories, or monitor more closely.
- Build security into development. For software the organization creates, integrate secure development practices throughout the life cycle rather than treating a final review as sufficient. NIST’s Software Supply Chain Security Guidance: Purpose and Scope frames secure development as a way to reduce vulnerabilities, limit the impact of exploitation, and address root causes.
- Assess suppliers and dependencies. Ask relevant suppliers how they develop and maintain software, disclose vulnerabilities, notify customers about affected products, and remediate issues. For open-source dependencies, consider maintenance activity, provenance, integrity, licensing, and vulnerability response—not usage or popularity alone.
- Prepare for vulnerability response. Establish who receives notices, how teams determine whether affected software is in use, how they prioritize remediation, and how they communicate with affected parties. A notification is useful only if the organization can connect it to its inventory and make a timely decision.
NIST’s Vulnerability Management guidance emphasizes vulnerability handling as part of supply-chain security. These practices are risk-management recommendations; they should not be mistaken for universal legal requirements. Specific obligations depend on an organization’s jurisdiction, contracts, and role.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWhat is an SBOM, and does it stop supply-chain attacks?
A software bill of materials (SBOM) is a record of software components and their supply-chain relationships. It can help an organization identify whether a disclosed vulnerability may affect software it uses. NIST says SBOMs offer “increased transparency, provenance, and speed at which vulnerabilities can be identified and remediated by federal departments and agencies” in its Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) guidance.
An SBOM does not itself prevent compromise, establish that software is secure, or replace vulnerability response. Its value depends on whether it is sufficiently useful, kept accessible, and connected to processes that identify affected deployments and drive action.
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How to use SBOMs effectively
- Request or create SBOMs where appropriate, and favor standard, machine-readable formats that can be processed rather than manually reviewed only.
- Keep SBOM records accessible and associate them with the relevant product, version, supplier, and deployment information.
- Connect component data to vulnerability information and asset criticality so teams can identify and prioritize exposure.
- Account for coverage limits. A supplier-provided SBOM, an internally generated inventory, and binary analysis of legacy software may reveal different amounts of information. An inventory produced after the fact may miss details that would have been captured during development.
CISA’s Securing the Software Supply Chain: Recommended Practices for Managing Open Source Software and Software Bill of Materials also addresses managing open-source software and SBOMs. An SBOM is most useful as one input to an ongoing inventory and response process, not as a security guarantee.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should we assess software suppliers?
Supplier assessment should match the software’s criticality and the organization’s exposure. Instead of asking only whether a supplier has a security policy or provides an attestation, seek evidence relevant to how it builds, maintains, and supports the software.
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- Component visibility: Ask what component information the supplier can provide, how it is maintained, and how customers can identify affected versions.
- Vulnerability disclosure: Ask how the supplier receives vulnerability reports, coordinates disclosure, triages issues, and communicates with customers.
- Response capability: Ask how customers are notified when supplied software is affected and what remediation or mitigation information is provided.
- Fit to your use: Consider the product’s importance, deployment, access, and potential impact when deciding what evidence and commitments are necessary.
NIST’s supply-chain and vulnerability-management guidance supports tailoring expectations to organizational context and supplier risk. An attestation can contribute to an assessment, but no single statement guarantees security; evaluate it alongside the supplier’s disclosure and response capabilities and your own ability to manage affected software.
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How do responsibilities differ by role?
| Role | Main control points | Practical priority |
|---|---|---|
| Software producer | Development, component selection, build and release processes, and maintenance | Integrate secure development practices and maintain useful component and vulnerability information. |
| Supplier | Products and services delivered to customers, disclosures, and remediation communications | Explain relevant practices, provide usable information, and respond clearly when vulnerabilities affect supplied software. |
| Purchaser | Procurement decisions and supplier expectations | Set requirements that reflect the product’s risk and assess development, disclosure, and response practices. |
| Operator | Deployed software, asset records, monitoring, and remediation | Track what is in use, connect notices to deployments, prioritize action, and communicate with affected parties. |
Organizations often occupy more than one role: a company may buy software from one supplier while developing and supplying its own products. Apply the relevant controls at each point rather than assuming that a supplier has taken care of operational responsibilities.
How can an organization measure progress?
Progress is not simply the number of SBOMs collected or supplier questionnaires completed. A useful measure is whether teams can identify important software and dependencies, understand which products may be affected by a disclosure, and make and communicate risk-based remediation decisions. Organizations can build from foundational inventories and response processes toward more continuous monitoring and richer risk measurement as their capabilities mature.
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