Triaging Non-CVE Vulnerabilities: Enhancing Your Risk-Based Vulnerability Management Program with Nucleus

As organizations face an increasing number of threats, many of which are not cataloged under Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), it becomes crucial to address these vulnerabilities that pose risk to the business. Are your current strategies equipped to handle non-CVE vulnerabilities efficiently and effectively? 

In this session, Scott Kuffer, Co-Founder and COO of Nucleus Security, explores the complexities and challenges of identifying non-CVE vulnerabilities, discuss how integrating risk-based vulnerability management solutions can streamline your processes, and provides practical strategies for triaging and mitigating these threats. 

Watch to: 

• Understand the key differences between CVE and non-CVE vulnerabilities and why addressing non-CVE vulnerabilities is essential for risk management. 
• Gain actionable strategies for effectively triaging and mitigating non-CVE vulnerabilities within your organization. 
• Learn how integrating Nucleus can streamline your vulnerability management processes, saving time and resources while improving security outcomes. 
• Hear from real-world examples and case studies demonstrating successful management of non-CVE vulnerabilities. 
• Engage in an interactive Q&A session to share information and get knowledge from your peers.

Attendees will walk away with an enhanced ability to identify and manage non-CVE vulnerabilities through improved processes and tooling, improving your risk-based vulnerability management program. 

• Vulnerability management metrics are often focused solely on CVEs, overlooking important configuration and infrastructure as code vulnerabilities. The responsibility for gaining full visibility into all types of findings should lie with the vulnerability management team.
• Organizations face a strategic decision on whether to adopt a centralized or distributed ownership model for vulnerability management. This choice should be made at the organizational level, taking into account the company’s specific threat model and culture.
• Non-CVE vulnerabilities can be detected using traditional vulnerability scanning tools with plugins or specialized tools designed for benchmark scanning. However, the coverage of vulnerability detection varies based on the infrastructure and benchmarks being assessed.
• The increasing importance of managing non-CVE findings is driven by factors such as the mass adoption of cloud environments, changes in IT infrastructure usage, and a shift in the primary method of exploitation from phishing to vulnerabilities.
• Modern vulnerability management has evolved beyond patching as the primary risk remediation method. It now encompasses managing various processes like configuration management, infrastructure as code, CI/CD, and user behavior analytics.
• Organizations face challenges in managing different areas of specialization where risks arise and have varying approaches to handling these challenges. Effective vulnerability management requires coordination across patching, software development, configuration management, and overall technical risk management.
• Prioritization of vulnerabilities should be based on attributes and evidence relevant to the organization, not just severity scores. It is crucial to prioritize across all types of findings, including CVEs, configuration weaknesses, and CIS benchmarks.
• Setting consistent response benchmarks based on attributes that matter to the organization is essential for effective prioritization. A single unified system for prioritizing all findings, considering infrastructure as code, patch management, and software development, is necessary.
• Organizations must choose between centralized and distributed remediation ownership strategies based on their culture, available tools, and way of doing business. Reporting should cover all types of findings, not just CVEs.
• Triage is the starting point for vulnerability management, involving cleaning and normalizing data before prioritization. Threat modeling is recommended as a simplified approach to normalize data and make educated guesses at scale.
• Customized, risk-based approaches tied to the organization’s context should be used in place of generic CVSS scores for prioritization. An SLA cheat sheet based on relevant attributes can be an alternative method for setting SLAs.

Centralized Remediation Strategy

Organizations often grapple with the decision of adopting a centralized remediation strategy, where a single vulnerability team is tasked with overseeing all remediation activities. Or they opt for a distributed approach where individual teams are responsible for managing their own vulnerabilities. While the former promotes consistency and oversight, the latter empowers teams to take ownership of their vulnerabilities, ensuring a more decentralized remediation process.

The key lies in establishing a normalized list of findings that encompasses various vulnerabilities, not just limited to CVEs. This comprehensive approach allows for a holistic view of the organization’s technical risk landscape, enabling better decision-making and remediation strategies aligned with the organization’s risk tolerance levels.

“Our job is to prioritize everything, not just CVEs. We need to be thinking about it across all findings, and that necessitates having a centralized system for prioritizing and reporting on metrics encompassing all types of vulnerabilities,” says Scott.

Prioritization Strategies

A critical aspect of vulnerability management is prioritization, especially when dealing with non-CVE vulnerabilities. While CVEs often dominate the prioritization process, Scott highlights the need for a broader approach that incorporates all types of findings, including configurations and infrastructure as code.

By leveraging attributes like asset context and impact, organizations can craft a customized prioritization scale that factors in the unique requirements and risk profiles of their assets. This tailored approach to prioritization ensures that vulnerabilities are addressed based on their criticality and potential impact on the organization, rather than solely relying on CVSS scores.

It is essential to recognize that traditional prioritization methods may fall short when dealing with non-CVE vulnerabilities. By adopting a more nuanced approach that considers multiple factors beyond CVSS scores, organizations can effectively manage and remediate vulnerabilities based on their actual risk implications.

Detecting Non-CVE Vulnerabilities

Detecting non-CVE vulnerabilities requires a tailored approach that combines vulnerability scanning tools, benchmark-specific assessments, and specialized scanning techniques. Tools like Tenable, Qualys, and Rapid7 offer plugins designed to detect various vulnerabilities, including technical configurations and compliance findings.

One of the primary challenges in detecting non-CVE vulnerabilities lies in the diverse nature of assessments required, depending on the benchmark and scan infrastructure in use. Whether conducting authorized scans, agent-based assessments, or leveraging specialized tools like CIS-CAT CIS benchmarks, organizations must adopt a multifaceted approach to accurately identify and remediate non-CVE vulnerabilities.

The key to effective vulnerability detection lies in leveraging a combination of tools, benchmarks, and scanning methodologies to ensure comprehensive coverage and proactive risk mitigation strategies.

Closing Thoughts

Triaging non-CVE vulnerabilities presents a multifaceted challenge that requires a holistic and strategic approach to vulnerability management. By centralizing remediation strategies, implementing tailored prioritization methodologies, and leveraging diverse detection techniques, organizations can effectively address the evolving threat landscape and mitigate potential risks associated with non-CVE vulnerabilities.

Expanding beyond conventional CVE-focused approaches, organizations can enhance their vulnerability management practices by incorporating non-CVE findings into their remediation strategies, ultimately bolstering their cybersecurity posture and resilience against emerging threats. By embracing a proactive and adaptive approach to vulnerability management, organizations can navigate the complexities of non-CVE vulnerabilities.