Vulnerabilities Overview

Cyber threats exploit weaknesses in technologies to breach defenses and cause damage. These weaknesses (vulnerabilities) provide opportunities that skilled hackers can take advantage of when attacking a system.

Common software vulnerabilities exist when errors, bugs, flaws in the software logic, or weaknesses appear in application code, operating systems, firmware, and other programs deployed in an environment. Typical software security vulnerabilities include but not limited to:

• Buffer Overflow: Errors that allow attackers to infiltrate and take control by overloading data buffers.
• SQL Injection: Manipulating back-end SQL queries to access unauthorized data.
• Cross-Site Scripting: Injecting malicious client-side scripts into web applications.
• Race Conditions: Timing issues between input and output trigger unexpected behaviors.

Typical hardware vulnerabilities include:

• Firmware Vulnerabilities: Weaknesses in the inner component software controlling the hardware.
• Speculation Execution: Leveraging vulnerabilities in CPU architecture for privilege escalation.

Organizations that want to improve their security posture must identify and address these technological flaws. One proactive approach to managing and remediating vulnerabilities is to implement a vulnerability management program that incorporates vulnerability scanning (e.g., Nodeware), patching, penetration tests, and audits.