Software Attack Surface
In cybersecurity, "Software Attack Surface" refers to the entirety of the software-related points where an unauthorized user, or "attacker," can attempt to enter, extract data from, or disrupt a software environment. It's the sum of all the software elements that are exposed and could be exploited.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Components: The software attack surface includes various elements:
Web applications and websites.
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
Mobile applications.
Cloud services and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions.
Code repositories.
Databases.
Operating systems.
Libraries and frameworks.
Configuration files.
Vulnerabilities: These software components may contain vulnerabilities, which are weaknesses that attackers can exploit. Examples include:
Coding errors that allow for injection attacks.
Misconfigurations that expose sensitive data.
Outdated software with known flaws.
Weak authentication mechanisms.
Attack Vectors: Attack vectors refer to the specific methods that attackers use to exploit these vulnerabilities. For software, these can include:
Exploiting web application vulnerabilities to gain control of a server.
Using exposed APIs to access sensitive data.
Injecting malicious code into mobile apps.
Compromising cloud services through misconfigurations.
External vs. Internal: The software attack surface can be viewed from two perspectives:
External: This refers to what is visible and accessible from the internet or other external networks.
Internal: This includes software and its vulnerabilities within an organization's internal network.
Dynamic Nature: The software attack surface is constantly changing as organizations develop, deploy, and update software. This dynamic nature makes it challenging to manage.
Understanding and managing the software attack surface is crucial for cybersecurity. Organizations must identify, assess, and mitigate vulnerabilities to reduce the risk of cyberattacks.
ThreatNG's Comprehensive Approach to Software Attack Surface Management
ThreatNG provides a robust platform that enables organizations to gain a comprehensive understanding of their software attack surface and the tools necessary to manage and mitigate associated risks.
1. External Discovery: Seeing What Attackers See
ThreatNG's external discovery capabilities are a cornerstone of its Advanced Security Management (ASM) approach. It performs unauthenticated discovery, meaning it identifies software assets without needing any internal credentials or access. This is crucial because it mirrors the perspective of an external attacker.
Comprehensive Coverage: ThreatNG discovers a wide array of software-related assets:
Web Applications: By using Domain Intelligence, it identifies all related domains and subdomains, the foundation of most organizations' web presence.
APIs: The platform's ability to enumerate subdomains and analyze web application components involves discovering publicly exposed Application Programming Interfaces (APIs).
Cloud and SaaS Services: ThreatNG goes beyond traditional infrastructure to identify cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP) and SaaS applications, acknowledging the increasing reliance on cloud-delivered software.
Mobile Apps: ThreatNG identifies an organization's mobile apps across various app stores, providing visibility into a critical yet often overlooked aspect of the software attack surface.
Example:
A large enterprise might have:
A main corporate website
A customer portal on a subdomain
Partner APIs for data exchange
Various marketing landing pages
Mobile apps for iOS and Android
Cloud-hosted applications for specific business functions
ThreatNG will discover all of these, providing a complete inventory of the organization's externally facing software.
2. External Assessment: Pinpointing Vulnerabilities
ThreatNG doesn't just list software assets; it delves into assessing their vulnerability to various threats:
Web Application Hijack Susceptibility: ThreatNG analyzes the externally accessible parts of web applications to identify potential entry points for attackers. This could include identifying vulnerable login forms, outdated software components, or exposed administrative interfaces.
Subdomain Takeover Susceptibility: By examining DNS records and SSL certificate statuses, ThreatNG determines if subdomains are at risk of being taken over by attackers. This prevents attackers from using compromised subdomains for phishing or other malicious activities.
BEC & Phishing Susceptibility: ThreatNG assesses the likelihood of business email compromise (BEC) and phishing attacks by analyzing domain intelligence, email security configurations, and dark web presence for compromised credentials.
Brand Damage Susceptibility: ThreatNG evaluates factors that could lead to reputational damage, including software vulnerabilities, data leaks, and negative sentiment in online sources.
Data Leak Susceptibility: ThreatNG identifies potential sources of data leaks in cloud and SaaS environments, code repositories, and web applications.
Cyber Risk Exposure: ThreatNG provides an overall measure of cyber risk based on factors like exposed ports, vulnerabilities, and misconfigurations.
Mobile App Exposure: ThreatNG assesses the security of mobile apps by identifying the presence of exposed credentials and security identifiers within the app's code.
Positive Security Indicators: Uniquely, ThreatNG also identifies and highlights an organization's security strengths, such as the presence of web application firewalls or multi-factor authentication.
Example:
ThreatNG might:
Identify a web application with a known vulnerability in a third-party library.
Assess the risk of that vulnerability being exploited and the potential impact of a successful attack.
Determine if a web application firewall protects the application.
Analyze the application's login page for susceptibility to brute-force attacks.
3. Reporting: Clear Communication of Risk
ThreatNG provides a range of reports tailored to different audiences:
Executive reports: Offer a high-level overview of key risks.
Technical reports: Provide detailed findings for security teams.
Prioritized reports: Focus on the most critical issues, enabling efficient remediation.
Security Ratings reports: Provide an overall assessment of an organization's security posture.
All reports are enhanced by a built-in knowledge base providing:
Risk levels: To help prioritize efforts.
Reasoning: To explain why a finding is significant.
Recommendations: To guide remediation.
Reference links: For further information.
4. Continuous Monitoring: Proactive Defense
ThreatNG continuously monitors the external attack surface, digital risk, and security ratings. This ensures that organizations are alerted to new threats and vulnerabilities as soon as they emerge, rather than relying on periodic scans.
5. Investigation Modules: Deep Dive Analysis
ThreatNG includes specialized modules for in-depth investigation:
Domain Intelligence: Provides detailed information about an organization's domains, DNS records, email security, and subdomains.
Example: It can identify newly registered domains that are similar to the organization's, potentially indicating a phishing attack.
IP Intelligence: Analyzes IP addresses, ASNs, and related information.
Certificate Intelligence: Examines TLS certificates for vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.
Social Media: Monitors social media for brand mentions and potential threats.
Sensitive Code Exposure: Identifies exposed code repositories and analyzes their contents for sensitive information, including credentials and API keys.
Example: It can detect hardcoded passwords or API keys in publicly accessible code, preventing attackers from using them.
Mobile Application Discovery: Identifies mobile apps and assesses their content for potential security vulnerabilities.
Search Engine Exploitation: Assesses the risk of information being exposed through search engines.
Cloud and SaaS Exposure: Evaluates the security of cloud services and SaaS applications.
Online Sharing Exposure: Monitors code-sharing platforms for exposed data.
Sentiment and Financials: Analyzes news, social media, and financial data for risks.
Archived Web Pages: Examines archived web pages for sensitive information.
Dark Web Presence: Monitors the dark web for mentions of the organization and compromised credentials.
Technology Stack: Identifies the technologies used by the organization.
6. Intelligence Repositories: A Foundation of Knowledge
ThreatNG uses a collection of continuously updated intelligence repositories, including:
Mobile App intelligence (credentials, keys, identifiers found within mobile apps)
These repositories provide context and enrich the platform's analysis.
7. Working with Complementary Solutions
While the document focuses on ThreatNG's capabilities, its findings are designed to be integrated with other security tools:
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management): ThreatNG's alerts and data can be fed into a SIEM for centralized monitoring and correlation with other security events.
SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response): ThreatNG can trigger automated responses to identified threats, improving security efficiency.
Vulnerability Management Tools: ThreatNG provides a broader, external view of vulnerabilities that complements the internal scanning of traditional vulnerability management tools.
Examples of ThreatNG Helping
Preventing a website takeover: ThreatNG identifies a subdomain with outdated software and missing security headers, allowing the organization to secure it before attackers can hijack it.
Detecting a data leak: ThreatNG discovers exposed credentials in a public code repository, enabling the organization to revoke those credentials and prevent unauthorized access.
Improving third-party security: ThreatNG assesses the security posture of a third-party vendor's website and APIs, helping the organization identify and address potential risks in its supply chain.
By providing comprehensive external discovery, assessment, reporting, continuous monitoring, and powerful investigation modules, ThreatNG empowers organizations to proactively manage their software attack surface and protect themselves from evolving cyber threats.
