Hacker News: Bad Software Keeps Cyber Security Companies in Business

Source URL: https://www.dogesec.com/blog/bad_software_keeps_security_industry_in_business/
Source: Hacker News
Title: Bad Software Keeps Cyber Security Companies in Business

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AI Summary and Description: Yes

**Summary**: The text provides an analysis of vulnerability trends based on CVE and CWE data from October 2023 to September 2024. It highlights that a significant number of developers still hardcode credentials into their code. The report reveals critical vulnerabilities, with XSS (CWE-79) and SQL injection (CWE-89) being prevalent attack vectors, emphasizing ongoing security challenges in software development.

**Detailed Description**:
The provided text encompasses a comprehensive examination of vulnerabilities in software development, focusing on the analysis of Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) and Common Weakness Enumerations (CWEs) over the specified timeframe. Key points include:

– **Overview of Vulnerabilities**:
– A total of **37,439 CVEs** were reported in the specified period.
– **35,346 CWEs** were assigned to these CVEs, indicating a large volume of weaknesses associated with vulnerabilities.

– **Top Reported Weaknesses**:
– CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) was the most reported weakness with **6,006 occurrences**, highlighting the criticality of secure input handling.
– Other significant weaknesses included:
– CWE-89 (SQL Injection): **2,644 occurrences**
– CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery): **1,615 occurrences**
– Lesser-known but still concerning weaknesses included hardcoded credentials (CWE-798) and missing authentication for critical functions.

– **Implications for Development**:
– The persistence of hardcoded credentials (CWE-798) and other fundamental coding errors reflects a lack of adherence to best security practices in software development.
– This trend suggests that both new and experienced developers may not be fully aware of or following secure coding guidelines, increasing the potential for exploitation.

– **Vendor/Product Vulnerabilities**:
– The analysis indicates that both large vendors (e.g., Cisco, IBM) and smaller ones are impacted by these vulnerabilities, particularly in firmware security.

– **Recommendations for Security**:
– Organizations must prioritize secure coding practices to mitigate foundational vulnerabilities, stressing the importance of continuous education on security best practices.
– Regular vulnerability assessments and updates could further strengthen the security posture of software products.

In conclusion, the text serves as a vital indicator of the ongoing challenges in software security, urging practitioners to remain vigilant against common vulnerabilities while reinforcing the importance of secure development practices.