The magnitude of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) has surged, creating tremendous stress on organizations’ cybersecurity defenses. As per SecurityScorecard, there were 29,000 vulnerabilities documented in 2023, and approximately 27,500 were already identified by mid-2024.
On the other hand, Coalition’s 2024 Cyber Threat Index predicts that the total count of CVEs for 2024 will reach 34,888—an escalation of 25% compared to the previous year. This upward trajectory poses a substantial obstacle for organizations aiming to handle vulnerabilities and reduce potential exploits.
What factors are propelling the significant increase in CVEs? And how can security squads diminish the risk? Let’s delve deeper.
The catalysts for CVE proliferation
The multiplication of CVEs can be ascribed to various factors. Each component brings additional intricacy, thereby creating more possibilities for vulnerabilities to emerge. Some of the primary reasons for CVE escalation comprise:
1. Increased intricacy of IT systems
Contemporary enterprise networks are extensive ecosystems of on-premises infrastructure, remote endpoints, cloud applications, and third-party services. Every fresh hardware piece or software introduction opens doors to potential vulnerabilities that cyber perpetrators can exploit. With businesses adopting more tools to maintain competitiveness, their attack surfaces expand. A single CVE can affect multiple software versions or get integrated into various packages.
For instance, software vulnerability instances like MOVEit, Log4Shell, and Citrix Bleed have received considerable media coverage in recent years. However, these represent only a fraction of the overall CVEs causing extensive harm. These prominent scenarios underscore a growing issue: The more software an entity employs, the more vulnerabilities are unearthed, making it increasingly challenging to manage them securely.
2. The surge of open-source software
Open-source software has evolved into a fundamental element in numerous tech stacks, yet it presents distinctive hurdles. Relying on community-driven solutions implies that not all software receives regular upkeep or immediate patches. Open-source software invites vulnerabilities that may not always be detected promptly.
Moreover, one CVE can impact multiple software versions or software packages, particularly if the CVE is ingrained in common code. Even minor vulnerabilities can proliferate through varied environments, enhancing the challenge of securing them.
3. The swift rate of code development
Each new line of code composition introduces fresh potential vulnerabilities. This situation is exacerbated by agile development methods emphasizing prompt iterations and deployments. While these approaches may enhance productivity, they also heighten the likelihood of security oversights.
CVE lists are far from static. Therefore, CVE evaluation is crucial for categorizing CVEs based on their CVSS scores and recognizing those present in your network. The dynamic code development nature indicates a continued escalation in the total vulnerability count. Organizations need to swiftly address new concerns as they emerge.
Explore X-Force Red vulnerability management services
The significance of vulnerability management in tackling CVE expansion
Vulnerability management has become a pivotal aspect of IT risk supervision, particularly considering the unbridled CVE growth. Entities neglecting to implement efficient vulnerability management programs face heightened vulnerability to cyberattacks and data breaches. The pivotal approach to handling this influx of vulnerabilities involves embracing a proactive, uninterrupted path to vulnerability discovery, prioritization, and resolution.
1. Uninterrupted vulnerability discovery
Vulnerabilities may surface at any moment due to fresh software installations, configuration changes, or newly detected weaknesses in existing systems. Automated vulnerability scanning tools are critical in contemporary cybersecurity for regular vulnerability monitoring across the organization’s complete attack surface.
Some entities have adopted advanced scanning methods utilizing honeypots to spot CVEs before they become widespread. For example, honeypot activity surged by 1,000% in the weeks before discovering the MOVEit vulnerability, providing companies with a preemptive response opportunity. Continuous monitoring and real-time scanning are indispensable to keeping pace with rapid vulnerability discovery.
2. Efficient vulnerability prioritization
With thousands of vulnerabilities detected annually, addressing all is unfeasible for entities. Prioritization becomes crucial. Tools like the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) and threat intelligence from sources like MITRE’s CVE list and the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) aid security squads in determining vulnerability criticality.
Nevertheless, these standard scoring systems need organizational-specific data supplementation to genuinely prioritize the most crucial vulnerabilities. Risk-oriented vulnerability management (RBVM) has emerged as an efficient solution. This method blends stakeholder-specific information with artificial intelligence and machine learning to offer a precise vulnerability prioritization based on the organization’s distinct risk profile. Vulnerabilities are ranked not just by severity but by their potential impact on the specific entity, making prioritization more strategic and manageable.
3. Vulnerability resolution: Fixing, lessening, or accepting vulnerabilities
After prioritizing vulnerabilities, entities need to resolve them through fixing, lessening, or accepting them:
- Fixing involves completely eradicating a vulnerability, such as patching a software flaw or reconfiguring a network setting.
- Lessening reduces the exploitation risk, although it doesn’t eliminate the vulnerability entirely. This approach could
- Endorsement occurs when a vulnerability is categorized as low-risk, and the organization determines that the expense or dedication required to address it surpasses the potential risk it may bring.
engaging in segmenting a fragile device from the network or setting up a firewall.
Organizations should adjust their strategy based on the importance of the vulnerability and the potential harm it could inflict if exploited.
4. Documentation and ongoing enhancement
The vulnerability management lifecycle wraps up with documentation and ongoing enhancement. Monitoring tools track essential metrics like mean time to identify (MTTD) and mean time to act (MTTR) to assist organizations in evaluating the efficiency of their vulnerability management initiatives. By routinely examining and evaluating these procedures, organizations can adapt their strategies to manage future CVE expansions more efficiently.
Strategies to efficiently supervise CVE expansions
Given the escalating number of CVEs, organizations are encouraged to embrace vital techniques to enhance their vulnerability management capabilities. These strategies comprise:
-
Connecting vulnerabilities: By comprehending how vulnerabilities correlate with each other, security teams can prioritize problems that, though not severe independently, may pose significant threats when coupled with other vulnerabilities.
-
Curating vulnerability data: As opposed to inundating IT teams with unrefined scan outcomes, security teams should furnish prioritized, refined reports that offer practical insights into which vulnerabilities present the most substantial risks.
-
Systematically arranging scans: It is crucial for organizations to routinely scan their most crucial assets while weighing the impact of frequent scans on less vital systems.
-
Streamlining: Given the extensive array of vulnerabilities, manual procedures are unsustainable. Automating workflows — such as vulnerability detection, prioritization, and patch management – will empower organizations to expand their vulnerability management endeavors.
Maintain control over CVEs
The uncontrolled surge of CVEs poses a substantial test to organizations globally. As vulnerabilities persist in increasing, organizations must implement continual, risk-based vulnerability management strategies to outperform potential threats.
By automating detection, concentrating on context-aware prioritization, and establishing robust remediation practices, organizations can alleviate the threats posed by the continuously growing count of CVEs in today’s intricate cybersecurity environment.