Sevco Glossary > Exploit Intelligence
Exploit Intelligence
Exploit intelligence refers to the collection and analysis of data about known exploits, including information on how vulnerabilities are being actively used by attackers in the wild, which enables security teams to prioritize and remediate the most critical risks within their systems by understanding which vulnerabilities are most likely to be exploited.
According to VulnCheck, in 2018, for 2.5% of CVEs that had weaponized exploits, the exploit weaponization took just under a year. In 2023, the exploit weaponization had dropped down to a mere 8 days. For security teams, exploit intelligence should be an essential tool to stay ahead of attackers. By providing real-time insight into vulnerabilities that are actively being exploited, security teams can focus on the most immediate threats. Security teams can incorporate these insights in addition to business context, asset criticality, etc., to make more informed decisions on which exposures to prioritize in order to minimize risk and strengthen their overall security posture.
Exploit intelligence can be gathered from various sources including threat intelligence feeds, exploit code repositories, and analysis of malware samples. Unlike simply identifying vulnerabilities, exploit intelligence specifically looks at vulnerabilities that are being actively exploited by attackers in real-time. By understanding which exploits are most prevalent, security teams can prioritize patching and mitigation efforts accordingly.
Example scenarios where exploit intelligence is crucial:
- Rapid response to emerging threats: When a new critical vulnerability is discovered, the intelligence can quickly assess if attackers are already actively using it to target systems.
- Vulnerability assessment prioritization: By identifying which vulnerabilities are most likely to be exploited, security teams can focus their scanning and patching efforts on the highest-risk areas.
- Incident investigation: Analyzing the intelligence can help security teams understand the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by attackers during an incident.