Agenda & Meeting Details 2025-04-23

  • 2025-04-23 16:00 UTC on #cpansec-discussion on Matrix

15:43 UTC - Pre-meeting socializing

  • Socializing & getting up to speed before the meeting starts properly
  • Discuss organizing projects, swimlanes and issues (…)
  • Check and resolve technical (A/V) issues before the meeting starts
  • Come as you are!

16:08 UTC - Meeting start

Welcome

  • Meeting chair: @thibaultduponchelle
  • Meeting scribe: @sjn, @tux

Attendees, absents & regrets

  • Attendees
    • @thibaultduponchelle, @leont, @sjn, @tux, @stigtsp
  • Regrets
    • @timlegge, @robrwo

Approve previous meeting minutes

  • Previous meeting minutes PR was approved by @thibaultduponchelle, @timlegge and @robrwo, and merged by @sjn

Agenda

Current matters

CPAN Testers

  • @tux - CPAN Testers work happening at PTS; We should contribute!
    • e.g. ask if CPAN Testers can add results of Test::CVE

XML::LibXML

  • @tux XML::LibXML touches CVE issues in Alien

Operating changes

  • @sjn - Proposal: Add RSS feeds to the matrix channel? Suggestions for channel admins:
    • Mastodon feed: https://fosstodon.org/@cpansec.rss
    • News feed: https://security.metacpan.org/feed.xml
    • CVE announcements feed: @stigtsp - can be done as part of an automated CVE announcement process
    • CVE updates feed: Can hook right into the CVE.org database maybe
  • @stigtsp - good idea!

Metadata & Software Bills of Materials

CPAN::Meta::Spec, Requirements and PURLs

  • @sjn - picking up CPAN::Meta::Spec after FOSDEM
    • Done! Details added to OP on https://github.com/Perl-Toolchain-Gang/CPAN-Meta/issues/137
    • Topic also added to PTS list of projects/talks

CycloneDX 1.7 Sustainability fields

  • @sjn - Ongoing: project- & ecosystem-supplied status fields.
    • @sjn - Proposed moving this to ECMA TG54 as the “Dugnad Specification” project

Compliance, Guidance & Standards

CPAN Author’s Security Policy Guidelines

  • @stigtsp - Minimal (TLDR) version of policy wanted
  • @tux - Team document template wanted; Help needed
    • @timlegge has started on something; happy to discuss with @tux; PR in the works
    • @robrwo - not so much a different kind of doc as possible different way to report vuln
  • @sjn - Alternative documents needed for non-Europeans (requested by jnap)
    • @sjn - can help with a CRA perspective
    • @sjn - ORC WG FAQ may help
    • @robrwo - this may be misunderstanding of the purpose of the document
    • @robrwo - the doc is best practice not specific to countries etc.
  • @robrwo mini-project to encourage the popular modules to add a security policy
    • See https://metacpan.org/favorite/leaderboard for a list
    • Sounds like a good idea
    • security.md, sbom and valid cpanfile, cpansa and busfactor, cpan.org email
    • cpants has experimental support
    • look into “update your cpan module” month (ref @tux’s checklist)
      • @robrwo interpreted this as a “security checklist” which is a bit too broad in scope, and overlaps with secure coding guidelines was thinking of a trimmed down metadata/config/documentation security checklist
    • @robrwo contacts manwar to see if he’d like to help with outreach
  • @robrwo updated guidelines
    • license for template/excerpts to 0BSD

Security Information & Outreach

  • [ ] @robrwo suggesting a regular blog series
    • blog posts smaller scope than monolithic documents/guides
    • different authors and topics including current news items
    • regular posts can get more attention
  • @thibaultduponchelle - let’s make it easier to post
  • @sjn - let’s add a new channel for smaller/faster blog posts that have lower PR quality requirements

Recruitment

  • @thibaultduponchelle - inviting @jjatria to join

Perl Toolchain Summit 2025

  • @sjn - Create document on what CPANSec-relevant issues need to be decided on/discussed at PTS
    • @sjn - Everyone, please add tasks to the PTS wiki Projects page!
    • @stigtsp and @tux - Better tooling for CNA CVE
    • @stigtsp and @timlegge - Intro to CNA CVE (onboarding?)
    • @stigtsp - Show CVEs on MetaCPAN
    • @stigtsp (+@timlegge, +@garu) - Help with perlsecpolicy
    • @stigtsp - Talk about “CVE?”
    • ? - Show security policies on MetaCPAN
    • @stigtsp and @tux - Better feed for Test::CVE and friends
    • @sjn - CPAN::Meta update
      • Complete the dependency graph
      • Allow linking to SBOM documents that are passed along the distro
      • Discuss which new required metadata fields need to go into the CPAN::Meta::Spec, and which should go into SBOMs
      • metadata for vulnerability reporting (email or url)
    • @sjn - Open discussion: CPANSec as an OSS Steward
      • Present purpose and regulatory requirements
      • Discuss and decide on community aligned principles to be enshrined in the Charter
      • Who are possible founding stakeholder groups?
    • @tux - DBI on how to use tooling to improve security there
    • @tux - discuss errors from gcc-14 (-Wno-error=…) and gcc15 (C23)
    • @thibaultduponchelle and @tux - Test::Smoke - Deprecate PerlIO/Stdio dual testing; Add patching facilities during smoke
    • @thibaultduponchelle - PAUSE - Review the operating model
    • @thibaultduponchelle - CPANSec - Maybe some CPAN installer patch tooling discussion and implementation (but limit to a POC); Maybe some PAUSE pentesting?
    • @sjn and @tux - create an SBOM from Perl’s Configure
    • @sjn whatever else people needs him for. :-)

New Guide needed: PackageURL

  • @sjn - We need a comprehensive PackageURL guide that answers/covers all relevant use cases
    • Non-perl project uses perl executable provided by packaging system // plenv // build-perl // ActiveState // etc.
    • Non-perl project uses a tool provided on CPAN
    • Non-perl project uses a vendored/included tool written in Perl
    • Perl project not on CPAN uses a CPAN module found on CPAN
    • Perl project found on CPAN uses a CPAN module found on CPAN
    • Perl project not found on CPAN uses a CPAN module not found on CPAN, but a DarkPAN
    • etc.
  • @sjn - No progress

CNA & Vulnerability Index

CNA Organization

  • @stigtsp, @timlegge - Presentation of CNA work so far
    • @stigtsp - 8 CVE identifiers reserved, and 14 published in our database, per now
  • @stigtsp - We need more help from others in the triage group:
    • Contact @timlegge, @stigtsp - Analysing vulnerabilities
    • Contact @timlegge, @stigtsp - Integrating CVE process more with triage
  • @robrwo - CNA/CPANSec workflow description needed from CVE reservation to disclosure
    • (Volunteer needed) - Write a guide/workflow doc, including details on how embargos work
  • @stigtsp - guided CVE writeup-sessions at PTS and at regular times otherwise
    • @stigtsp and @timlegge prepare a dummy scenario

Secure by Default

TLS/HTTPS/CSPRNG/DSA in core

  • @leont - share ongoings & blockers
    • @leont - Lets leave till after PTS

Ongoing vulnerabilities

Organization, Governance & Funding

Funding drive

  • @sjn - who is open (or willing to commit) to do funded work? (e.g. X days per week)
    • @stigtsp 1d/w
    • @robrwo 0d/w
    • @leont (? - please contact @sjn)
    • @garu (? - please contact @sjn)
    • Others? (contact @sjn!)
  • @sjn - Explore options with Ovid’s company
  • @sjn - Talk with prospective companies to look for opportunities
  • @sjn - Organize fundraiser’s coordinator meeting w/Olaf & Stuart (delayed)
  • @sjn - Investigate pre-project funding chances with NUUG foundation
  • @sjn - New project overview in the works: https://cryptpad.fr/sheet/#/2/sheet/edit/vazHpOmoK6bM-qKo7WRpzq6U/

Eclipse ORC WG

  • @sjn - Misc. ongoing activities

CPAN Steward org

  • @sjn - Discussions on TPRF slack #cpansec-steward; Mostly @sjn making noise;
    • Contributors who care about governance needed; Please reach out to @sjn

Security Patch Tooling

  • not discussed

Authentication & Trusted Publishing

  • (Volunteers/tuits/funding needed - this topic is available for adoption!)

Software Composition Analysis & Vulnerability Detection

  • (Volunteers/tuits/funding needed - this topic is available for adoption!)
  • We decided to close this project;

Transparency Logs & Trusted Distribution

  • (Volunteers/tuits/funding needed - this topic is available for adoption!)

Any Other Business

  • @stigtsp - Can someone look at the cpansa-feed, it’s broken for a while now :-(
    • (Volunteers needed) This is important.
      • (We hear some people are looking into this)
  • @robrwo methods for notifying multiple maintainers of security issues as part of Perl ecosystem (RT or some kind of cpan.org mailing list)

Upcoming events and deadlines

  • (Sweden) FOSS North - Monday 2025-04-14 … Tuesday 2025-04-15 in Gothenburg, Sweden
    • @sjn participated; lots of good conversations; Found people involved in the “security insights spec”, potential contributers to the Steward bylaws, and much more.
  • (Germany) PTS 2025 - Thursday 2025-05-01 … Sunday 2025-05-04 in Leipzig, Germany
    • @tux, @stigtsp, @leont, @garu, @sjn, @thibaultduponcelle, @timlegge are going
  • (Germany) GPW 2025 - Monday 2025-05-12 … Wednesday 2025-05-14 in Munich, Germany. (CfP is open)
    • @sjn is going, one talk submitted
  • (Norway) Internet Governance Forum 2025 - Monday 2025-06-23 … Saturday 2025-06-28 in Lillestrøm, Norway; (Call for Sessions)
    • @sjn may be going (TBD)
  • (USA) TPRC 2025 - Friday 2025-06-27 … Sunday 2025-06-29 in Greenville, SC, USA (CfP is open; Deadline: 2025-03-15)
  • (Croatia) EuroBSDCon 2025 - Thursday 2025-09-25 … Sunday 2025-09-28 in Zagreb, Croatia; (CfP is open; Deadline: 2025-06-21)
  • (Belgium) OpenSSF EU Policy Summit - 2025-10-30, in Ghent, Belgium;
  • (World) CPAN 30 year anniversary - Sunday 2025-10-26

Next meeting date, time and location

  • Next meeting is Wednesday 2025-05-07 @ 16:00UTC in #cpansec-discussion on Matrix (18:00 Europe/Amsterdam)

17:19 UTC - Meeting end

17:19 UTC - End