The Impact of the NVD's Backlog on OT Environments: Is It a Significant Concern?

Incomplete Data: New vulnerabilities often come with a delay in receiving detailed information, such as impact assessments and mitigation strategies. This gap leaves security teams with an incomplete picture of the potential risks posed by these vulnerabilities until the necessary details are available. 

Accuracy Limitations: The NVD has never been 100% accurate or timely. The dynamic nature of cybersecurity means that vulnerabilities and threats are constantly evolving, making perfect accuracy an unrealistic expectation. 

Resource Constraints: The process of enriching CVEs with detailed information requires significant human and technical resources. Given the sheer volume of new vulnerabilities discovered daily, the NVD often struggles to keep up, leading to a backlog. 

Integration with Other Databases: The NVD is not the only vulnerability database. There are others, such as the Exploit Database and vendor-specific databases. Ensuring consistency and integration across these platforms can be challenging, leading to discrepancies and gaps in information. 

Prioritization Challenges: The absence of detailed information can hinder the ability to effectively prioritize vulnerabilities. In OT settings, where systems are often highly specialized and critical, understanding the potential impact of vulnerabilities is essential for prioritizing remediation or, at minimum, to work around mitigation efforts.  

Batch Processing of Vulnerabilities: Many organizations in OT environments identify, evaluate and address vulnerabilities in batches rather than in real-time. This approach reflects the practical realities of OT operations, where addressing each vulnerability individually can be impractical and resource intensive. 

Noise Reduction: Real-time or near real-time assessments can generate excessive noise, leading to alert fatigue and potentially distracting security teams from addressing the most critical vulnerabilities. A lag allows for a more considered approach, reducing the risk of becoming overwhelmed by a flood of new information. 

Risk Management: The truth is a lag in data enrichment can better risk management. By allowing time for detailed analysis and contextual understanding, security teams can focus on vulnerabilities that pose the greatest risk, rather than chasing after every newly discovered CVE. 

Effective Risk Reduction: Addressing vulnerabilities with known exploits should be the primary focus, as these pose a direct threat. Investing resources into understanding and mitigating these vulnerabilities can yield more significant risk reductions compared to addressing unenriched CVEs that may not have immediate or known impacts. 

Augmentation of Data: While the NVD’s data is valuable, relying solely on it without augmentation can be limiting. Developing internal processes for augmenting NVD data, coupled with focusing on known exploitable vulnerabilities can enhance an organization’s vulnerability management strategy.  Below is an example of how Hexagon enriches the NVD data.