Developer disputes vulnerability rating, restricts GitHub repository access

Hey everyone,

I just came across an interesting situation and wanted to get your thoughts. A developer I follow on GitHub recently made their repo read-only after disagreeing with a CVE severity rating.

Has anyone else seen something like this happen before? I’m curious about the implications of this move. Could it be seen as a way to avoid dealing with the vulnerability? Or is it a valid response to what the dev sees as an unfair assessment?

I’d love to hear your opinions on this. Do you think it’s a good strategy for handling disagreements about security issues? Or could it potentially backfire?

Let me know what you think!

As someone who’s been involved in open-source projects for years, I can say this approach is highly unusual and potentially problematic. Restricting repository access over a CVE rating dispute is likely to backfire.

In my experience, the best course of action is to engage directly with the CVE issuing body. Provide detailed technical evidence to support your position on the severity rating. I’ve seen developers successfully challenge ratings this way.

Closing off access may seem like a quick solution, but it raises more questions than it answers. It could be interpreted as an attempt to hide information, which is counterproductive in the security community.

If the developer truly believes the rating is unfair, they should consider seeking a second opinion from other security experts or requesting a formal review. It’s a complex process, but it’s better than risking the project’s reputation and user trust.

yea, that’s def a weird move. i get bein mad bout a rating, but lockin down the repo? kinda sus. could backfire big time. maybe the dev’s tryin to buy time to fix stuff? either way, not great for trust in the project. transparency’s usually better in these situations imo

hmm thats a tricky situation. ive never seen a dev actually restrict access over a cve rating dispute before. seems kinda sketchy to me tbh. like theyre trying to hide something? idk tho maybe they have legit reasons. but restricting access doesnt look great from a security standpoint imo

I’ve actually been in a similar situation before, and it’s definitely a challenging one to navigate. While I sympathize with the developer’s frustration, restricting access to the repo is probably not the best move.

When I faced a disputed vulnerability rating, I found that providing detailed technical documentation and engaging in direct dialogue with the CVE issuing body was far more effective. It took time, but we eventually reached a mutual understanding.

Closing off the repo might seem like a quick fix, but it can raise suspicions and potentially harm the project’s credibility. In my experience, transparency and open communication go a long way in maintaining trust within the developer community.

If the developer truly believes the rating is unfair, they should consider seeking a second opinion from other security experts or even requesting a formal review of the CVE. It’s a complex process, but it’s better than risking the reputation of their project.

This is certainly an unusual approach to handling a CVE rating dispute. While I understand the developer’s frustration, restricting repository access is likely to raise more red flags than it solves. It could be perceived as an attempt to obfuscate the issue rather than address it head-on.

A more constructive approach would be to engage with the CVE issuing body, providing clear technical evidence to support their position on the severity rating. Transparency is crucial in security matters, and closing off access may inadvertently erode trust in the project.

Ultimately, this move could backfire by drawing more attention to the vulnerability and potentially damaging the developer’s reputation. Open communication and collaboration are generally more effective in resolving such disputes.