Vulnerable and outdated components

Vulnerable and outdated components

As application architecture grows ever more complicated, the potential for key components to become outdated (and therefore, more vulnerable to malicious code) increases substantially. Hence, the recent rise in the ranks for this category, which used to be far lower on the OWASP list.

This risk increases further as many websites continue using components with known vulnerabilities rather than updating them. While this approach is certainly more convenient, these components are chock full of vulnerabilities that can then be exploited by cybercriminals.

Awareness remains the best defense. This means vetting third-party components carefully before moving forward — and continuing to check for vulnerabilities long after they have been implemented. Streamlined applications are preferable whenever they're available, as fewer components mean fewer opportunities to become outdated or otherwise vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Patch management and software updates are also crucial, as there's never any guarantee that components will be problem-free. Clear procedures should outline how vulnerabilities will be detected and which mitigation strategies will be used when this inevitably happens.https://www.sitelock.com/blog/top-10-owasp-vulnerabilities/