This whitepaper examines the hidden risks of transitive dependencies—indirect dependencies introduced through open source libraries—and their impact on software security and compliance. It reveals that a majority of open source components in applications are transitive and often introduce vulnerabilities, license conflicts, and maintenance challenges. The paper highlights risks such as dependency bloat, outdated components, and inaccurate software bills of materials (SBOMs). It recommends best practices including maintaining a comprehensive inventory of dependencies, continuous monitoring for vulnerabilities, enforcing policies, and automating dependency management within CI/CD pipelines. By improving visibility and governance, organizations can reduce supply chain risks and maintain secur

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