Application Security Vulnerabilities vs. Weaknesses Explained
Although terms like application security vulnerabilities and weaknesses are associated with risks to the organization, they represent distinct concepts that require different management approaches. And effective cybersecurity begins with a clear understanding of risks.
The application security vulnerability is an immediate flaw that attackers can exploit, such as an unpatched system or a misconfigured server. Meanwhile, an application security weakness refers to an underlying design, process, or policy issue that may not be directly exploitable but can lead to vulnerabilities over time.
This blog explores major differences between vulnerabilities and weaknesses, provides examples, and highlights publicly accessible databases for CVEs and CWEs that help in their identification.
Understanding Application Security Vulnerabilities
Application security vulnerabilities are flaws or defects in infrastructure, applications, or processes. These vulnerabilities could be exploited by an attacker to compromise the integrity, availability, or confidentiality of the business and its systems. The vulnerabilities are typically well-documented and often have known solutions or patches available.
These vulnerabilities are typically well-documented and often have known solutions or patches available.
For example, an unpatched software vulnerability can allow attackers to execute malicious code. Misconfigured firewalls or outdated systems are also common vulnerabilities, leaving systems open to exploitation.
Vulnerabilities are actionable, often cataloged in databases like MITRE’s Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE), and typically demand immediate resolution through patches, updates, or configuration changes.
Understanding Application Security Weaknesses
Application security weaknesses refer to a broader deficiency in the design, process, or practice of security. While not always immediately exploitable, weaknesses increase the likelihood of vulnerabilities emerging over time. For instance, the absence of a strong password policy or insufficient employee training on phishing attacks can create conditions where vulnerabilities are likely to arise. Other popular weaknesses include cross-site request forgery (CSRF), out-of-bounds writing, and components susceptible to SQL command injection attempts.
Weaknesses are less tangible and more preventive in nature. Addressing them involves strengthening the underlying processes and practices, such as enhancing policies, conducting training, or redesigning processes for long-term security. Weaknesses are often cataloged in databases like MITRE’s Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE).
Application Security Vulnerabilities vs. Application Security Weaknesses
| Aspect | Application Security Vulnerabilities | Application Security Weaknesses |
| Definition | Exploitable flaws in applications, infrastructure, or cloud | Broader deficiencies or flaws in security design |
| Actionability | Can be exploited by attackers | May lead to vulnerabilities over time |
| Examples | CVEs, misconfigurations, and flaws in code | Weak policies and inadequate training |
| Resolution | Patching or updating the affected system | Strengthening policies, processes, practices, and designs |
| Documentation | Often cataloged (e.g., CVE databases). | Identified during audits and often cataloged in CWE databases |
CVEs and CWEs: A Breakdown
To better understand and address application security vulnerabilities and weaknesses, let’s look at examples and how they’re used.
CVE: Cataloging Vulnerabilities
A CVE is a specific security vulnerability. Each entry in a CVE database represents a unique, publicly disclosed vulnerability in software or hardware, often accompanied by detailed information about its impact, severity, and available patches.
Example:
CVE-2024-6387: Allows attackers to remotely execute code as the root user without authentication.
CVEs, along with advanced threat intelligence, business context, and criticality, enable easier prioritization and remediation of known risks.
CWE: Categorizing Weaknesses
CWE, on the other hand, is a category system of software weaknesses. It focuses on the underlying patterns or coding practices that can lead to vulnerabilities. Each weakness is assigned a CWE ID to help developers and security teams identify, track, and mitigate potential issues at their root.
Examples:
CWE-79: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) weaknesses.
CWE-89: SQL Injection weaknesses.
Unlike CVE databases, which list specific vulnerabilities, CWE databases aim to support software quality by helping teams recognize and address systemic weaknesses during development.
By using both CVEs and CWEs, organizations can take a dual approach: addressing immediate vulnerabilities while working on systemic improvements to reduce future risks.
Creating a Unified Approach
To address both vulnerabilities and weaknesses effectively, organizations should adopt a two-pronged approach.
Prioritization and Remediation of Vulnerabilities/Weaknesses
Conduct regular scans, ingest all the vulnerabilities and weaknesses into one platform, and then prioritize the risk based on business context, advanced threat intelligence, CVEs, CWEs, and asset criticality. For instance, a weakness found in a critical application that holds sensitive user information is more important than an application security vulnerability caused by a misconfigured internal asset that is not public-facing. Prioritizing risks the right way helps the security team focus their remediation efforts on the vulnerabilities and weaknesses that matter the most to the organization.
Mitigation of Weaknesses
Invest in security training, enforce strong access controls, and audit systems for policy gaps or process inefficiencies. For example, implementing multi-factor authentication can address the broader risk of weak password practices.
By combining these efforts, organizations can not only fix what’s broken but also prevent future issues from arising.
Vulnerability Management with ArmorCode
Effectively managing application security vulnerabilities and weaknesses requires a unified, streamlined approach. This is where ArmorCode’s AI-powered ASPM Platform excels. By treating vulnerabilities and weaknesses as Findings, ArmorCode simplifies how organizations identify, assess, and address risks across their environments.
ArmorCode not only ingests and tracks vulnerabilities and weaknesses but also assigns a risk score (0 to 1,000) to each Finding. These scores are calculated based on a variety of factors, including business context, asset criticality, CVEs, CWEs, and advanced threat intel.
By unifying these elements into a single pane of glass, ArmorCode empowers security teams to focus on what matters most—high-priority risks that could impact the business. Additionally, this unified approach facilitates faster remediation, better communication across teams, and a more proactive security posture.
Ready to take control of your Findings and elevate your security strategy?
Request a demo to learn more about how ArmorCode can help.
