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The quote “99% of vulnerabilities don’t matter…” is often attributed to cybersecurity professionals, but the full context is crucial:
“Vulnerability management is finding the 1% that matter.”
While the 99% shouldn’t be ignored, automating their remediation allows IT teams to focus on high-risk vulnerabilities. Sysadmins juggle multiple responsibilities—deploying servers, patching systems, and maintaining infrastructure—making manual triage impractical.
Key Takeaways from the Discussion with Jeff Hunter (Field CTO at NinjaOne):
– Current State of Vulnerability Management: Overwhelming volume of CVEs, many with inflated severity ratings.
– Challenges: Lack of time, misprioritization due to generic CVSS scores, and alert fatigue.
– Solution: Automation tools (like NinjaOne) to patch at scale, reducing manual workload.
🔗 Watch the Full Discussion: NinjaOne Vulnerability Management Video
You Should Know: Practical Vulnerability Management
1. Automating Patch Management (Linux/Windows)
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)
Update package lists sudo apt update List upgradable packages (identify vulnerabilities) apt list --upgradable Automate patches (unattended upgrades) sudo apt install unattended-upgrades sudo dpkg-reconfigure unattended-upgrades Enable auto-patching
Windows (PowerShell)
Check for missing patches Get-WindowsUpdate Install critical updates automatically Install-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoReboot
2. Prioritizing CVEs
Use EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) to identify actively exploited vulnerabilities:
curl -s https://epss.cyentia.com/api/v1/ | jq '.data[] | select(.epss_score > 0.9)'
3. Mitigating Unpatchable Systems
- Linux (Kernel Hardening)
Restrict kernel module loading echo "kernel.modules_disabled=1" >> /etc/sysctl.conf sysctl -p
- Windows (Disable Vulnerable Services)
Stop-Service -Name "SMBv1" -Force Set-Service -Name "SMBv1" -StartupType Disabled
What Undercode Say
Vulnerability management isn’t about fixing everything—it’s about strategic automation and risk-based prioritization. Key steps:
1. Automate Low-Risk Patching (e.g., NinjaOne, Ansible, WSUS).
- Focus on Exploitable CVEs (EPSS, CISA KEV Catalog).
3. Harden Systems (SELinux, AppArmor, Windows Defender ASR).
4. Monitor Logs for exploitation attempts:
journalctl -u sshd | grep "Failed password" Linux SSH brute-force
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName='Security'; ID=4625} Windows failed logins
Expected Output:
- Reduced patching workload via automation.
- Faster response to critical vulnerabilities.
- Lower breach risk through proactive hardening.
For deeper insights, watch the NinjaOne video.
References:
Reported By: Spenceralessi 99 – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
