# The Maintainer of Last Resort

DevFeed: [The Maintainer of Last Resort](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/the-maintainer-of-last-resort-13262.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.chainguard.dev/unchained/the-maintainer-of-last-resort>)

Published: 2026-06-22T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Chainguard: Unchained](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/chainguard-unchained.md>)

Topics: [Open Source](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/open-source.md>), [Maintainers](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/maintainers.md>), [Vulnerabilities](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/vulnerabilities.md>), [Software](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software.md>), [Cloud](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cloud.md>)

Tags: [chainguard-containers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/chainguard-containers.md>), [chainguard-libraries](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/chainguard-libraries.md>), [chainguard-open-source](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/chainguard-open-source.md>), [emertioss](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/emertioss.md>), [maintainers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/maintainers.md>), [open-source](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open-source.md>), [open-source-maintainer](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open-source-maintainer.md>), [oss](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/oss.md>), [providers](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/providers.md>), [software](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software.md>), [vulnerabilities](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/vulnerabilities.md>)

## AI overview

Chainguard proposes a Maintainer of Last Resort as a neutral backstop for abandoned open source projects. The model would fork vulnerable packages, apply fixes, publish verifiable builds, and handle future vulnerability disclosures when upstream maintainers cannot respond in time.

## Source excerpt

Chainguard proposes a Maintainer of Last Resort to patch abandoned open source projects, publish trusted builds, and keep critical software secure.