Why Third-Party Vulnerabilities Are Your App’s Weakest Link (and How to Fix Them)

In the age of open-source software and extensive APIs, third-party code forms a significant part of most applications. Third-party components—from open-source libraries, frameworks, and tools— are the building blocks of modern software development.They keep software engineers from reinventing the wheel by rewriting code that already exists, and speed up the development process.Unfortunately, there's a trade-off: third party code offers speed and efficiency, but it can also introduce vulnerabilities.How can you catch those issues during application security testing (AST), before they're found and exploited by a threat actor?

How big a problem do third-party vulnerabilities actually pose to your code? Pretty big. A recent report found that half of organizations have critical security debt, and 70% of those vulnerabilities come from third-party code and the software supply chain.

There are several reasons for this. For example, some open-source libraries are maintained by volunteers and simply may not be updated very often. In other cases, a complex network of dependencies may mean there's a bug several layers deep in the dependency tree. Sometimes code just isn't intended for your specific use case, which can cause things to break.

No matter what causes the bugs, however, it's important to manage third-party vulnerabilities effectively. Doing so is critical for maintaining the overall security posture of your application.

How can you effectively manage third-party vulnerabilities?

1. Maintain a complete SBOM: Create a detailed inventory of all third-party components, open-source libraries, APIs, and external services used in your application. Mapping these components to your application architecture provides clear visibility into potential vulnerabilities and supply chain risks.

2. Integrate SCA into Your CI/CD Pipeline: Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools scan your dependencies for known vulnerabilities. Incorporate SCA into your build process, so you can catch vulnerabilities early. For example, set fail conditions, run SCA on every PR or merge, and set up automated notifications if an issue is found.

3. Continuous monitoring: Implement continuous monitoring processes to detect vulnerabilities in third-party components. Utilize scanners and vulnerability management tools that can automatically retrieve data from multiple sources about known vulnerabilities affecting your components.

4. Risk assessment and prioritization: Not all vulnerabilities pose the same level of risk. Assess each vulnerability to understand its potential impact and likelihood of exploitation. Use this information to prioritize remediation efforts, focusing on the most critical vulnerabilities first.

5. Combine with Dynamic or Static AST: Use SAST (Static) and DAST (Dynamic) tools alongside SCA. SAST tools can tell you if your app actually calls the vulnerable code, while DAST tools can show you if a vulnerability is exploitable in a live environment.

6. Patch management: Develop a robust patch management process to make sure you're updating third-party components regularly. Whenever a security patch is available, it should be promptly evaluated and, if applicable, applied to mitigate the identified vulnerabilities.

7. Be picky about your packages: Before you add a third-party dependency, do your homework. Check GitHub stars, the last commit date, any open issues, and its. contributor count. Steer clear of  packages with no updates for years or with tons of unresolved CVEs.

8. Talk to your vendors: Maintain open lines of communication with third-party vendors to receive  updates about vulnerabilities and their patches. Engage with vendors who prioritize security in their development and maintain transparent vulnerability disclosure practices.

9. Train your team: Educate your development and security teams about the importance of third-party vulnerability management and the role they play in this process. A well-informed team can better identify and manage vulnerabilities in third-party components.

Third-party vulnerability management is a crucial piece of application security testing that should not be overlooked. By implementing a structured approach involving inventory management, continuous monitoring, risk assessment, and patch management, organizations can significantly reduce security risks and improve compliance. Investing time and resources into managing these vulnerabilities not only safeguards the integrity of your applications but also protects your organization’s reputation and customer trust in a highly connected digital world.
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