What this plugin is

The Maven JAR Plugin assembles a project's compiled classes and resources into a `.jar` archive during the Maven `package` phase. It populates the `META-INF/MANIFEST.MF` with the entries downstream tooling — module descriptors, classpath, multi-release flag — relies on.

Why it matters

The output of this plugin is what ends up on Maven Central and in production classpaths. Manifests, multi-release JAR layout, and reproducible-build flags all flow through here. A misconfigured release of this plugin is a supply-chain hazard.

Open Elements' role

Open Elements contributes to the Maven JAR Plugin under the Support & Care programme and surfaces its security state via Open Ingredients.