Much of our critical infrastructure relies on encryption as the bedrock of its security. Encryption, however, is a practically a "very hard" mathematical problem that will take eternity to solve with current technology.
Let us say someone using the Ballmer's peak to their advantage (lol) develops an algorithm that allows us to solve that incredibly hard math problem in minutes. Is it legal for them to open-source this algorithm and also publicize about how it can help break encryption (they never talk about stealing)?
I get that someone using the algorithm to break into someone else's system is a crime, same as robbing something from a house for which you can now make the keys. But open-sourcing such a critical solution will empower bad actors and nation states to hack other's systems regardless.
Is our boy-genius developer legally (not ethically) obligated to do anything if they make such a discovery?