In security, what is a vulnerability?
Options
- A weakness that attackers can take advantage of (Correct option)
- The name of the attacker who breaks into systems
- An antivirus program that scans files for threats
- A login screen that asks for user credentials
Answer
A weakness in software, configuration or process that an attacker could use
Why
Four words that are often mixed up:
- Vulnerability: a weakness (for example an input that is not validated).
- Threat: something that could cause harm (a hacker, malware).
- Exploit: a way to use the weakness.
- Attack: actually doing it.
A known vulnerability gets a CVE number, and fixing it is called patching.
Remember
Vulnerability = a weakness that can be exploited.