Vulnerability Classification

Any weakness in the system has the potential to be dangerous and seriously harm the organisation. Ethical hackers must be aware of the different kinds of vulnerabilities they may encounter as well as the different methods for assessing vulnerabilities. 

CLASSIFICATION

Vulnerabilities present in a system or network are classified into the following categories:

Misconfiguration

The most prevalent vulnerability, misconfiguration, is mostly the result of human error and gives attackers access to the system without authorisation. It impacts databases, networks, web servers, and application platforms and can occur unintentionally or on intentionally. Using scanning tools, attackers can quickly identify these misconfigurations and take advantage of the backend systems. As a result, administrators need to optimise device security and modify the devices' default configurations. 

Default Installations

Default Installations are usually user-friendly especially when the device is being used for the first time when the primary concern is the usability of the device rather than the device's security. Failing to change the default settings while deploying the software or hardware allows the attacker to guess the settings to break into the system.

Buffer Overflows

Buffer overflows result from code mistakes and provide attackers access to the target system. In a buffer overflow attack, the attacker tries to gain control of the system by writing more data than the buffer can hold. This compromises the functionality of applications.

Unpatched Servers

Organisations frequently operate unpatched and incorrectly configured servers, endangering the security and consistency of the data within their system. This can lead to the exposure of private data, financial loss, and discontinuation of operations. Software updates regularly and adequate system maintenance, such as patching and bug fixes, can help reduce vulnerabilities brought on by unpatched servers. 

Design Flaws

Design vulnerabilities are logical defects in the system's operation that attackers make use of to get past the detection mechanism and get access to a secure system. Examples of these flaws include incorrect encryption and poor data validation.

Operating Systems Flaws

Timely patching of the OS, installing minimal software applications, and using applications with firewall capabilities are essential steps that an administrator must take to protect the OS from attacks. 

Application Flaws

Applications with bugs can cause security risks such as data manipulation and unauthorised access to configuration stores, which can lead to the loss or corruption of important data if they are not safeguarded. Because of this, programmers need to comprehend the structure of typical security flaws and create extremely safe programs by ensuring appropriate user validation and authorisation.

Open Services

Open ports and services give hackers the ability to launch additional attacks on other linked devices as well as cause data loss or denial of service attacks. To lower the danger to the network, administrators must constantly look for unused or insecure ports and services.

Default Passwords

When a device is first set up, its manufacturers provide customers with the default password; they have to change it before using it again. By utilising the default passwords and forgetting to update them, users expose devices and systems to a variety of assaults, including dictionary and brute force attacks.

You might be interested in,

• Phases of Hacking
• Introduction to Vulnerability Assessment
• Vulnerability Management Assessment Phase
• Vulnerability Assessment Types
• Vulnerability Assessment Solutions and Tools
• Vulnerability Assessment Reports

We hope this helps. If you have any suggestions or doubts you can add a comment and we will reply as soon as possible.