The Shrinking Window for Vulnerability Exploitation

Patching is one of the most crucial defenses against cyber threats. However, according to HelpnetSecurity, the reported average time to patch currently exceeds 100 days. This is a stark contrast to the 19-day window in which 75% of new vulnerabilities are exploited. 

At the time of publishing this blog (July 18, 2024), 2024 has seen an astonishing 22,431 CVEs released. Looking back at each year since 2020, 2024 has already seen more CVEs than both 2020 and 2021 (and it looks like we’re well on the road to seeing more than in 2022 or 2023, too).

With the increasing number of CVEs being released, and the shrinking window for exploitation, automated patching solutions are no longer a luxury—they are a critical component to strengthening your company's cybersecurity posture.

Recent reports indicate a significant reduction in the Mean Time to Exploit (MTTE) for vulnerabilities. In fact, 75% of new vulnerabilities are exploited within 19 days of their discovery. And 25% of vulnerabilities are exploited the same day they’re discovered. This is bad. 

This accelerated timeline for exploitation leaves organizations vulnerable if they continue to rely on traditional patching methods. Manual processes just cannot keep pace with the volume and speed of new threats. The point: Automated patch management is not just beneficial, it’s essential.

The development and widespread availability of scanners and techniques for mass exploitation of public-facing resources, coupled with more advanced and widespread phishing tools, have contributed to the decreasing MTTE.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), managed by the FBI, provides a centralized platform for reporting and analyzing internet-related criminal activities. Their annual reports highlight the increasing cost and prevalence of cybercrime.

According to the 2023 IC3 Internet Crime Report, the reported estimated loss figures are quite conservative. For instance, only about 20% of Hive ransomware group’s victims reported to law enforcement, suggesting that the actual impact is significantly higher. Globally, it’s projected that by the end of 2024, the cost of cybercrime will be close to $9.5 Trillion. 

As cyberattack tooling becomes more sophisticated, the sector will become increasingly profitable for bad-actors. These tools are now more accessible than ever, enabling even less-skilled attackers to exploit vulnerabilities with ease.

Consequently, the Mean Time to Exploit will continue to decrease, prompting attackers to exploit vulnerabilities more swiftly for financial gains from ransomware and data breaches.

Traditional vulnerability scanning and manual patching methods are increasingly ineffective against the backdrop of today's cyber threat landscape. The labor-intensive nature of manual tracking and patching cycles often results in delayed remediation, leaving critical vulnerabilities unaddressed for extended periods.

The overwhelming number of vulnerabilities discovered and exploited weekly further compounds the problem, stretching already thin security resources and elevating the risk of successful attacks.

Spreadsheets and manual prioritization are no match for the sophisticated techniques employed by modern cybercriminals, and many older patching solutions primarily focus on the OS and web browser. Today's attack surface is much broader.

Even though the OS and web browser are two common exploit paths, organizations must recognize that their attack surface extends beyond these areas. Vulnerabilities can also be found in third-party applications, network configurations, APIs, and hardware components. 

Effective patching strategies must encompass your corporations entire IT ecosystem. Automation tools should offer:

• Continuous Monitoring: Automated systems provide real-time monitoring of all networked assets, ensuring that no potential vulnerabilities go unnoticed.

• Risk-Based Prioritization: Advanced tools analyze the risk associated with each vulnerability, prioritizing patches based on factors such as exploitability and impact on critical systems. This ensures that the most significant threats are addressed first.

• Seamless Integration: Third-party automation solutions can integrate with existing security frameworks, enhancing capabilities without requiring a complete overhaul of current systems.

To combat the challenges of rapid exploitation, continuous vulnerability identification is paramount. Cutting edge automated techniques allow for the constant discovery of new vulnerabilities across diverse systems and networks. This proactive approach ensures:

• Potential threats are identified promptly, enabling faster response times.

• Better resource allocation and implementation of monitoring systems. 

• Stronger IT infrastructure health and increased performance within your organization. 

• Real-time visibility into network activity, application performance, and endpoint security

• Security teams can focus on remediation rather than detection.

• Improvement of overall efficiency and effectiveness in vulnerability management.

All that said, too many notifications can overwhelm IT teams, leading to missed critical events and desensitization. By fine-tuning alert thresholds and prioritizing notifications based on severity, teams can focus on the most pressing issues first.