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What is Vulnerability Scanning?

50 percent. This was the number of UK businesses that experienced some form of cyber attack in 2023 alone as per reports from AAG.

The sophistication of cyber threats are increasing greater than ever and it will continue. The primary reasons for the same is the giant leap of technological growth and the rapid expansion of new firms with least consideration for proactive security measures.

Vulnerability scanning is the cybersecurity approach which combines manual and automated approaches to finding vulnerabilities in your organization’s IT infrastructure.

This blog is focused on providing you an in-depth understanding of vulnerability scanning.

What is Vulnerability Scanning?

Vulnerability scanning is a systematic examination of a network, system, or application to identify security weaknesses that attackers could exploit. It involves using automated tools to assess assets for known vulnerabilities, configuration issues, and compliance with security policies and best practices. By identifying these weaknesses, organizations can take corrective action to mitigate potential risks.

To put it in a simpler way, imagine a large retail organization preparing to launch its new e-commerce platform. Before going live, the team needs to ensure that customer data, payment information, and transaction processes are secure. A vulnerability scan will help identify any outdated software, misconfigurations, or other weaknesses that could jeopardize security.

Did you know? PCI DSS demands that an organization that stores, processes, or transmits information related to cardholders digitally should run internal and external vulnerability scans periodically (according to Requirement 11.2 from PCI DSS)

How Vulnerability Scanning Works

Vulnerability scanning typically involves the use of specialized software tools that simulate attacks on a system.

Here's how it works, step to vulnerability scanning

Asset Discovery: Tools identify and catalog all devices, systems, and applications in the environment.

Scanning: Scanners evaluate these assets against a database of known vulnerabilities.

Assessment: Issues are analyzed based on severity and potential business impact. Reporting: Once the assessment is complete, the tool generates a report detailing the findings, categorized by severity, along with recommendations for remediation.

These scans can be performed on various components, including operating systems, applications, databases, and network devices, ensuring a comprehensive approach to security.

Steps to Vulnerability Scanning

As with every other digital security, regular vulnerability scanning brings the benefits of having a greater understanding of current security postures of your organization and its assets from a broader perspective.

Being an ongoing process, following are the 6 step process to effective vulnerability scanning:

Asset inventory creation The initial step is to create an inventory of all systems and devices connected to the network or under the scope of the vulnerability scan. Details related to the operating systems, software, ports, and accounts are identified in this process.

Attack surface scanning Next step is to scan for the potential vulnerabilities in all the assets including the systems, hardware, software, and networks. This helps to determine the possible risk exposure and attack vectors.

Comparison with vulnerability databases Automated vulnerability scanning tools usually leverage data from the vulnerability databases to find common vulnerabilities (CVE also known as Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) and its possible ways to sensitive data on the attack surface targeted by the scanners.

Vulnerability detection and classification Once the vulnerabilities are detected, it is then classified based on its criticality, which left unattended is the favorite target for the bad actors to find ways to cause disruptions.

Report generation Once the vulnerabilities are detected and classified, it is then summarized into reports by the scanners. This helps your organization greatly to prioritize the remediation efforts based on the severity of findings and its impact on the business.

Remediation actions Last and the most important step is to take necessary steps to address the vulnerabilities detected. Patches may be applied, software updated, systems reconfigured, or other security measures implemented.

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Types of Vulnerability Scans

Primarily vulnerability scanning can be classified into two. They are authenticated and unauthenticated vulnerability scanning.

Authenticated vulnerability scanning

In an authenticated vulnerability scanning, your organization shares valid account credentials or access to the target system. This is intended to gain a more in-depth understanding of system vulnerabilities which may be missed in an unauthenticated vulnerability scanning.

Issues such as misconfigurations, missed patches, and internal vulnerabilities are detected using this scanning technique.

Unauthenticated vulnerability scanning

Contrary to authenticated vulnerability scanning, unauthenticated vulnerability scanning is conducted without giving credentials or access to the scanner. However, vulnerabilities Which demands detailed information or related to privilege access is not detectable within this technique, which was crucial and possible in the previous one.

Externally identifiable vulnerabilities such as the ones related to open ports, outdated software versions, and common misconfigurations are focused in this scanning technique.

The Results of Vulnerability Scanning

The outcomes of vulnerability scanning are invaluable for organizations looking to fortify their security posture.

Identified Vulnerabilities: A list of known vulnerabilities that exist within systems. Risk Levels: Vulnerabilities are typically ranked based on their severity, helping prioritize remediation efforts.

Configuration Issues: Misconfigured settings that may expose systems to unnecessary risks.

Compliance Status: Information on how well an organization adheres to regulatory and security frameworks, aiding in risk management.

Through these insights, organizations can make informed decisions about how to allocate resources for security improvements.

How Vulnerability Scanning is used?

Vulnerability scanning serves various functions across different scenarios. For example, a financial services company may discover through a vulnerability scan that several of its servers run outdated operating systems. This knowledge would prompt an immediate update to mitigate the risk of a breach. Here are some of the frequent ways vulnerability scanning is used,

Regular Security Assessments: Organizations conduct routine scans to continually assess their security posture, identifying new vulnerabilities introduced by changes to the infrastructure.

Pre-Deployment Checks: Before rolling out a new application or update, organizations utilize scanning to detect vulnerabilities that could lead to exploitation post-deployment.

Compliance Auditing: Many businesses use scanning to verify adherence to regulatory requirements, ensuring they maintain acceptable security standards.

Incident Response: In the event of a security breach, vulnerability scanning can help identify weaknesses that may have contributed to the incident, allowing for corrective measures to be put in place.

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Types of Vulnerability Scanning and Common Use Cases

Understanding the different types of vulnerability scans is essential for strengthening an organization's security. There are 14 types of vulnerability scanning and each one serves as a way of security defenses against cyber threats.

Internal Scanning: Examines vulnerabilities within the organization's network, identifying threats accessible from inside.

External Scanning: Targets systems exposed to the internet, revealing vulnerabilities that external attackers could exploit.

Authenticated Scanning: Uses valid credentials to gain deeper access, allowing for more accurate identification of vulnerabilities tied to user permissions.

Unauthenticated Scanning: Conducted without credentials, it provides a broad overview of potential vulnerabilities but may miss deeper issues.

Assessment Scanning: Combines various techniques to evaluate the overall security posture of systems and networks.

Discovery Scanning: Maps and identifies all connected devices, helping organizations to recognize unauthorized or unmanaged assets.

Compliance Scanning: Assesses systems against regulatory standards to ensure alignment with security best practices.

Host-Based Scanning: Targets individual devices for vulnerabilities, focusing on specific configurations and software installed.

Network Scanning: Reviews network infrastructure to identify active hosts and open ports, mapping potential entry points for attackers.

Web Application Scanning: Evaluates web applications for vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting to secure online services.

Port Scanning: Discovers open ports on networked devices, assessing potential attack vectors based on active services.

Database Scanning: Investigates database systems for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, protecting sensitive data.

Source Code Vulnerability Scanning: Analyzes application code for security flaws, identifying issues early in the development process.

Cloud Vulnerability Scanning: Evaluates cloud infrastructure for security misconfigurations and vulnerabilities, ensuring robust protection in cloud environments.

Vulnerability Scanning vs. Penetration Testing

While vulnerability scanning and penetration testing are both critical elements of an organization’s cybersecurity framework, they serve different purposes and employ distinct methodologies. Here is a comprehensive comparison,

AspectVulnerability scanningPenetration testing
DefinitionAutomated identification of known vulnerabilities in systems.Simulated attack to exploit vulnerabilities and assess security.
ScopeBroad assessment of all assets. Identifies potential weaknesses.Targeted tests on selected systems. Focuses on exploiting risks.
OutcomeGenerates a report of identified vulnerabilities and remediation measures.Produces a detailed report outlining successful exploits and vulnerabilities found.
FrequencyRegular scans (weekly, monthly, or quarterly).Conducted periodically (e.g., annually or biannually) or after significant changes.
Depth of AssessmentSurface-level assessment of known vulnerabilities.In-depth analysis of security measures, including possible bypass techniques.
ObjectiveIdentify and prioritize vulnerabilities for remediation.Assess real-world attack scenarios and security responses.

Penetration Testing vs. Vulnerability Scanning: What's the Difference?

Challenges in Vulnerability Scanning

A strong cybersecurity strategy includes vulnerability scanning, but it’s not without its roadblocks. Here are some common hurdles organizations encounter,

False Positives and Negatives Scans may incorrectly identify vulnerabilities (false positives) or miss them entirely (false negatives), leading to wasted remediation efforts or unaddressed risks.

Complex IT Environments Dynamic infrastructures including cloud, on-premises, and hybrid systems complicate the scanning process, making it hard to gain a complete overview of vulnerabilities.

Network Performance Impact Comprehensive scans can strain bandwidth and resources, potentially slowing down or disrupting network services, necessitating scheduling during off-peak hours.

Skilled Personnel Shortage The lack of qualified cybersecurity professionals makes it difficult to analyze scan results effectively and implement timely remediation.

Prioritization of Vulnerabilities With numerous findings, determining which vulnerabilities to address first can overwhelm organizations, risking inadequate responses to significant threats.

Integration with Other Security Tools Achieving seamless integration of scanning tools with existing security infrastructure is technically challenging and resource-intensive.

Remediation Challenges While identifying vulnerabilities is critical, effectively addressing them, especially in legacy systems or complex configurations can be labor-intensive and slow.

Best Practices for Effective Vulnerability Scanning

Here are some best practices organizations can practice to enhance their vulnerability management strategy and strengthen their overall cybersecurity posture.

Comprehensive Asset Discovery: Maintain a detailed, up-to-date inventory of all devices and systems connected to your network using network scanners and agents to ensure no asset is overlooked.

Determining Scan Frequency: Assess the criticality of systems to establish appropriate scanning frequencies, with critical assets receiving more frequent scans (weekly or monthly) and less critical ones scanned quarterly or semi-annually.

Asset Ownership and Responsibilities: Assign a designated owner for each asset who is accountable for its security, ensuring regular scans and prompt remediation of identified vulnerabilities.

Prioritizing Vulnerabilities: Utilize scoring systems like CVSS to assess the severity of vulnerabilities, focusing remediation efforts on those that pose the highest risk or are actively exploited.

Detailed Reporting: Generate clear, actionable scan reports that list identified vulnerabilities, classify them by severity, and provide initial remediation recommendations, ensuring accessibility for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Establishing a Remediation Process: Develop a standardized process for addressing vulnerabilities, prioritize based on risk, assign tasks, and verify the effectiveness of remediation efforts through follow-up scans.

Managing False Positives: Refine scan settings, keep tools updated, and implement preliminary filtering to minimize false positives during scans, ensuring focus on genuine threats.

Overcome Vulnerability Scanning Gaps with Uproot Security

Uproot Security offers specialized penetration testing services to help businesses identify and address security vulnerabilities across web apps, mobile apps, cloud infrastructure, networks, and source code. Some of the key benefits include,

  • Proactive Risk Mitigation
  • Compliance Assurance
  • Cost-Effectiveness
  • Expert Support
  • DevSecOps Integration

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Robin

Senior Pentest Consultant

Don’t Wait for a Breach to Take Action.

Proactive pentesting is the best defense. Let’s secure your systems