Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Nov 28, 2025

Log4j software flaw 'endemic,' new cyber safety panel says

Log4j software flaw 'endemic,' new cyber safety panel says

A computer vulnerability discovered last year in a ubiquitous piece of software is an “endemic” problem that will pose security risks for potentially a decade or more, according to a new cybersecurity panel created by President Joe Biden.
The Cyber Safety Review Board said in a report Thursday that while there hasn’t been sign of any major cyberattack due to the Log4j flaw, it will still “be exploited for years to come.”

“Log4j is one of the most serious software vulnerabilities in history,” the board’s chairman, Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary Rob Silvers, told reporters Wednesday.

The Log4j flaw, made public late last year, lets internet-based attackers easily seize control of everything from industrial control systems to web servers and consumer electronics. The first obvious signs of the flaw’s exploitation appeared in Minecraft, a hugely popular online game owned by Microsoft.

The flaw’s discovery prompted urgent warnings by government officials and massive efforts by cybersecurity professionals to patch vulnerable systems.

The board said Thursday that “somewhat surprisingly” the exploitation of the Log4j bug had occurred at lower levels than experts predicted. The board also said that it was unaware of any “significant” Log4j attacks on critical infrastructure systems but noted that some cyberattacks go unreported.

The board said future attacks are likely in large part because Log4j is routinely embedded with other software and can be hard for organizations to find running in their systems.

“This event is not over,” Silvers said.

Log4j, written in the Java programming language, logs user activity on computers. Developed and maintained by a handful of volunteers under the auspices of the open-source Apache Software Foundation, it is extremely popular with commercial software developers.

A security researcher at the Chinese tech giant Alibaba notified the foundation on Nov. 24. It took two weeks to develop and release a fix. Chinese media reported that the government punished Alibaba for not reporting the flaw earlier to state officials.

The board said Thursday it found “troubling elements” with the Chinese government’s policy toward vulnerability disclosures, saying it could give Chinese state hackers an early look at computer flaws they could use for nefarious means like stealing trade secrets or spying on dissidents. The Chinese government has long denied wrongdoing in cyberspace and told the board that it encourages improved information sharing on software vulnerabilities.

The board offered a number of recommendations on mitigating the fallout of the Log4j flaw as well as improving cybersecurity generally. That includes the suggestion that universities and community colleges make cybersecurity training a required part of computer science degree and certification programs.

The Cyber Safety Review Board is modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board, which reviews plane crashes and other major accidents, and was mandated by an executive order Biden signed last May. The 15-member board is made up of FBI, National Security Agency and other government officials as well as people from the private sector. Some supporters of the new board criticized DHS for taking so long to get it up and running.

Biden’s executive order directed the board to conduct its first review on the massive Russian cyber espionage campaign known as SolarWinds. Russian hackers were able to breach several federal agencies, including accounts belonging to top cybersecurity officials at DHS, though the full fallout from that campaign is still unclear.

Silvers said DHS and the White House agreed that reviewing the Log4j flaw was a better use of the new board’s expertise and time.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Will Saudi Arabia End Up Bankrolling Israel’s Post-Ceasefire Order in Lebanon?
Saudi Arabia’s SAMAI Initiative Surpasses One-Million-Citizen Milestone in National AI Upskilling Drive
Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Coffee Market Set to Surge as Demand Soars and New Exhibition Drops in December
Saudi Arabia Moves to Open Two New Alcohol Stores for Foreigners Under Vision 2030 Reform
Saudi Arabia’s AI Ambitions Gain Momentum — but Water, Talent and Infrastructure Pose Major Hurdles
Tensions Surface in Trump-MBS Talks as Saudi Pushes Back on Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia Signals Major Maritime Crack-Down on Houthi Routes in Red Sea
Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
COP30 Ends Without Fossil Fuel Phase-Out as US, Saudi Arabia and Russia Align in Obstruction Role
Saudi-Portuguese Economic Horizons Expand Through Strategic Business Council
DHL Commits $150 Million for Landmark Logistics Hub in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Aramco Weighs Disposals Amid $10 Billion-Plus Asset Sales Discussion
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince for Major Defence and Investment Agreements
Families Accuse OpenAI of Enabling ‘AI-Driven Delusions’ After Multiple Suicides
Riyadh Metro Records Over One Hundred Million Journeys as Saudi Capital Accelerates Transit Era
Trump’s Grand Saudi Welcome Highlights U.S.–Riyadh Pivot as Israel Watches Warily
U.S. Set to Sell F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia in Major Strategic Shift
Saudi Arabia Doubles Down on U.S. Partnership in Strategic Move
Saudi Arabia Charts Tech and Nuclear Leap Under Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally Amid Defense Deal
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally as MBS Visit Yields Deepened Ties
Iran Appeals to Saudi Arabia to Mediate Restart of U.S. Nuclear Talks
Musk, Barra and Ford Join Trump in Lavish White House Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince
Lawmaker Seeks Declassification of ‘Shocking’ 2019 Call Between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince
US and Saudi Arabia Forge Strategic Defence Pact Featuring F-35 Sale and $1 Trillion Investment Pledge
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Emerges as Key Contender in Warner Bros. Discovery Sale
Trump Secures Sweeping U.S.–Saudi Agreements on Jets, Technology and Massive Investment
Detroit CEOs Join White House Dinner as U.S.–Saudi Auto Deal Accelerates
Netanyahu Secures U.S. Assurance That Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Will Remain Despite Saudi F-35 Deal
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump in Washington to Deepen Defence, AI and Nuclear Ties
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Mining Strategy to Build a New Economic Pillar
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Arrives in Washington to Reset U.S.–Saudi Strategic Alliance
Saudi-Israeli Normalisation Deal Looms, But Riyadh Insists on Proceeding After Israeli Elections
Saudis Prioritise US Defence Pact and AI Deals, While Israel Normalisation Takes Back Seat
×