October 25, 2023 at 03:11PM
The CVSS severity rating lacks real-world context, making it difficult for companies to prioritize fixes. Many vulnerabilities are harder to exploit than indicated by their CVSS scores. Factors such as exploitability in default configurations and specific attack conditions should be considered. The upcoming CVSS 4.0 update does not fully address this issue. To improve the assessment of criticality, organizations should consider additional resources, such as distro-specific and project-specific severity scores, and integrate contextual analysis into their remediation process.
The meeting notes discuss the issue of the CVSS severity rating lacking real-world context and how it affects a company’s ability to prioritize fixes. It is noted that the CVSS scoring system is based on a complex set of factors that do not adequately incorporate the real-world impact of each vulnerability, leading to overinflated severity ratings.
The speaker, Shachar Menashe, suggests that organizations should consider additional resources alongside the CVSS rating to get a more accurate assessment of CVE criticality. These resources include the CVSS rating from the CNA (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Numbering Authority), distro-specific severity scores, and project-specific severity scores.
The speaker also advises integrating context into the remediation process by considering factors such as real-world exploitability, CVE applicability, and contextual analysis. This will help guide the prioritization and remediation efforts by focusing on vulnerabilities that have the most impact.
Overall, the key takeaway from the meeting notes is that relying solely on the CVSS severity rating may lead to misallocation of resources, and companies should consider additional factors to prioritize fixes effectively.