Top 8 Cyber Security Vulnerabilities

The Threat of a Vulnerability

While a vulnerability is a potential risk to an organization, it does not pose a threat to an organization in and of itself. A vulnerability only becomes a problem when it is exploited. This exploit may be performed intentionally by an attacker or unintentionally by a legitimate user. For example, a buffer overflow vulnerability that leads to a Denial of Service (DoS) attack could even be triggered by a cat walking across a user’s keyboard.

Regardless of how it is exploited, a vulnerability poses a significant threat. Vulnerabilities can lead to data breaches, malware infections, and a loss of critical services.

Top 8 Cyber Security Vulnerabilities

Vulnerabilities come in various forms, but some of the most common types include the following:

#1. Zero Day

A zero-day vulnerability is one that was discovered by cybercriminals and exploited before a patch was available. Zero-day vulnerabilities like Log4j are often the most famous and damaging vulnerabilities because attackers have the opportunity to exploit them before they can be fixed.

#2. Remote Code Execution (RCE)

An RCE vulnerability allows an attacker to execute malicious code on the vulnerable system. This code execution can allow the attacker to steal sensitive data, deploy malware, or take other malicious actions on the system.

#3. Poor Data Sanitization

Many attacks — such as SQL injection and buffer overflows — involve an attacker submitting invalid data to an application. A failure to properly validate data before processing leaves these applications vulnerable to attack.

#4. Unpatched Software

Software vulnerabilities are common, and they are corrected by applying patches or updates that fix the issue. A failure to properly patch out-of-date software leaves it vulnerable to exploitation.

#5. Unauthorized Access

It is common for companies to assign employees and contractors more access and privileges than they need. These additional permissions create security risks if an employee abuses their access or their account is compromised by an attacker.

#6. Misconfiguration

Software commonly has various configuration settings that enable or disable different features, including security functionality. A failure to configure applications securely is a common problem, especially in cloud environments.

#7. Credential Theft

Cybercriminals have different means of stealing user credentials, including phishing, malware, and credential stuffing attacks. An attacker with access to a legitimate user’s account can use this access to attack an organization and its systems.

#8. Vulnerable APIs

Often, web security strategies focus on web applications, which are the more visible components of a corporate digital attack surface. However, APIs can be even more damaging if not properly secured against unauthorized access or exploitation.

Secure Your Business from Vulnerabilities with Check Point

Companies face a variety of cybersecurity threats, and understanding these risks is vital to protect against them. To learn more about the current state of the cyber threat landscape, check out Check Point’s 2022 Cybersecurity Report.

Check Point can help you identify the vulnerabilities in your applications and help identify solutions. To start, sign up for a free Security Checkup to identify the main threats in your organization’s IT environment.