Searching For Vulnerabilities - #CyberSecurity

Hello everyone? from the articles before we discussed about Introduction to Basic of Cyber Security, so now let's dive deeper to understand cyber security. In this article we will talk explaination about "Searching for Vulnerabilities"

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Searching For Vulnerabilities

Quoted from?https://www.ncsc.gov.uk ?vulnerability is a weakness in an IT system that an attacker can exploit to produce a successful attack. They can occur through flaws, features, or user error, and an attacker will attempt to exploit any of them, often combining one or more, to achieve their ultimate goal.

and as shown in the poster above, searching for vulnerabilities is process can be performed by organizations or individuals responsible for system security, such as network administrators, software developers, or security researchers. Finding security vulnerabilities in a system is an important process in maintaining system security, as it can help organizations or individuals to find and fix security gaps before they are attacked by irresponsible attackers.?

A Security vulnerability is a weakness or loophole in a security system that can be exploited by unauthorized parties to access or damage information that is supposed to be protected. Security gaps can appear in various forms, such as bugs in software, errors in network configuration, weaknesses in passwords, and so on.

Security loopholes can be very dangerous because they can give unauthorized access to attackers to perform various adverse actions, such as stealing important information, changing or deleting data, damaging the system, or disseminating malware. In addition, security gaps can also be used as a gateway for more complex attacks, such as Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) or ransomware attacks. The act of exploiting a vulnerability is called an attack. The purpose of an attack is to gain access to a system,the data it stores, orto certain resources.

Searching for security vulnerabilities is the process of looking for weaknesses or loopholes in security systems that can be exploited by attackers to access or damage information that is supposed to be protected. This process can be performed by organizations or individuals responsible for system security, such as network administrators, software developers, or security researchers.

The first step in finding security gaps is to conduct a risk evaluation to identify the most vulnerable areas in the system. After that, security researchers can use various techniques, such as penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, or code review, to look for possible security gaps in the system.?

Security researchers can also use special tools or software that can help in finding security gaps automatically. However, this technique cannot always find all security gaps, so it is important for security researchers to use manual or creative techniques in searching for more complex security gaps.

Once a security flaw is found, the next step is to provide a report or notification to the system owner to take corrective action. This can be done by providing a detailed report of the security flaw along with remedial steps that can be done, or by conducting a live demonstration of how the security flaw can be exploited by attackers.

Security vulnerabilities can be divided into two types, namely hardware and software vulnerabilities. here is a detailed description of security vulnerabilities in hardware and software:?

1. Hardware Vulnerability

A hardware vulnerability occurs when there is a weakness in the hardware used in the system. This can occur when hardware components are not properly designed or have manufacturing defects that cause security gaps in the system. Some examples of hardware vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers include:

• Buffer overflow on the storage device such as a hard disk or USB drive.
• Defects in the processor or chipset that cause errors in data processing.
• Vulnerabilities in the communication protocols used by devices such as Bluetooth or WiFi.
• Vulnerability in a security chip or Trusted Platform Module (TPM) used to secure encryption keys and digital certificates.

One other example is RAM memory which consists of capacitors placed very close to each other. Because of such a location, changes that occur in one capacitor can affect adjacent capacitors. From this design flaw, an exploit called Rowhammer was created. This exploit allows retrieving data from nearby address memory cells, even if they have been protected, by repeatedly overwriting memory at the same address.?

However, vulnerabilities in hardware typically only occur in specific device models and are generally not exploited through random intrusion attempts. Although attacks on hardware occur more often in highly targeted attacks, standard protection from malware and physical security is quite sufficientfor ordinary users.

In some cases, hardware vulnerabilities may require physical repair or replacement of components to address the security gaps found. However, in some cases, software fixes or system settings may be enough to fix hardware-related security gaps.

2. Software Vulnerabilities A software vulnerability occurs when there is a weakness in the software or application used in the system. This can occur due to errors in the design or implementation of the software, or because the software is not updated regularly with the latest security patches. Some examples of software vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers include:

• SQL injection on a web application that can be used to gain access to a database.
• Cross-site scripting (XSS) that can be used to retrieve user information orrun malicious code on the user's browser.
• A Buffer overflow can allow an attacker to run malicious code on a system.
• A vulnerability in the operating system that allows an attacker to take control ofthe system

In 2015, a major vulnerability known as SYNful Knock was discovered on Cisco IOS. This vulnerability allows attackers to take control of enterprise routers such as the old 1841, 2811, and 3825 routers from Cisco. After successfully controlling the router, the attacker can monitor all network communications and attack other network devices. This vulnerability occurs when a changed version of IOS is installed on the router. Therefore, it is important to verify the integrity of the downloaded IOS image and ensure that the equipment can only be accessed by physically authorized personnel.

Software updates are performed to ensure that the software remains up-to-date and cannot be exploited by attackers. Some companies set up special teams to search for and fix software vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers, while third-party security researchers also search for software vulnerabilities. An example is Project Zero from Google, which specifically researches and fixes software vulnerabilities.

To address software vulnerabilities, companies or individuals must continually update and manage their software with the latest security patches and conduct regular security testing to identify new vulnerabilities. In addition, it is important to implement good software security practices such as the use of encryption, strong authentication, and separation of user access rights to reduce the risk of vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

Most software security vulnerabilities fall into one ofthe following categories:

1. Buffer Overflow is a vulnerability that occurs when a program or application cannot handle inputthat exceeds a predetermined buffer capacity. This can resultin the program becoming unstable, stalled, and can even be exploited by attackers to insert malicious code and damage the system ortake control ofthe system. Buffer overflows can be addressed by improving program or application code, adding input validation, and limiting buffer size.?
2. Input not Validated this vulnerability occurs when a program or application does not properly validate input, so that a given input can be exploited by an attacker. Attackers can enter malicious code or corrupt data,take control ofthe system, or obtain sensitive information. Properinput validation such as avoiding disallowed characters, limiting inputlength, or checking input data types can help address these vulnerabilities.
3. Race condition occurs when two or more processes orthreads compete to access the same resource simultaneously. If not addressed,this can lead to system failure, data loss, or can even be exploited by attackers to take control ofthe system. Solutions to these vulnerabilities include updating software and operating systems with the latest patches, using synchronization mechanisms, and isolating between processes orthreads.
4. Weaknesses in Security Practices these vulnerabilities occur when the security practices used by an organization or user are inadequate orineffective in securing the system. This can be due to lack oftraining, lack of attention to security, orlack ofresources to implement adequate security practices. Solutions to these vulnerabilities include raising security awareness, providing security training to users, and using security practices that have proven effective.?
5. Broken Access Controlthis vulnerability occurs when a system or application does notimplement access control properly, so that unauthorized users can access resources or perform actions that should only be performed by authorized users. This can cause damage to the system or even reveal sensitive information. Solutions to this vulnerability include implementing the principle of need for access rights, ensuring users have only the necessary access rights, and using strong authentication and authorization.

Almost all access control and security practices can be bypassed if an attacker has physical access to the target equipment. For example, no matter how you setfile permissions,the operating system cannot prevent someone from ignoring the operating system and reading data directly from the disk. To protectthe machine and the data on it, physical access must be restricted and encryption techniques must be used to protectthe data from being stolen ortampered with.

hardware and software vulnerabilities are two types of security vulnerabilities that organizations orindividuals need to be aware of in maintaining the security oftheir systems. By recognizing and fixing these vulnerabilities,they can prevent adverse attacks and keep their systems safe from security threats.

In an increasingly technological world,the discovery of security vulnerabilities is essentialto keep systems safe from emerging threats. Therefore, performing a vulnerability search by identifying security gaps in hardware and software becomes a must. By taking appropriate measures and regularly updating system security, an organization or individual can minimize the risk of adverse security attacks. In this case, prevention efforts are betterthan overcoming the adverse effects that may occurif security gaps are not detected quickly.

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1. Versi Bahasa Indonesia :?Unduh disini
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References :

1. International Journal of Information and Computer Security

2. www.cisco.com

3. www.cssia.org

4. www.lms.onnocenter.or.id

5. www.britannica.com

6. www.ncsc.gov.uk

Posted on 2023-03-05

Author : Ichsan Budiman Putra