Attack Chain Methodology.

The AppSec Spending Conundrum

Global spending on cybersecurity is expected to exceed $200 billion by 2025, with a significant portion allocated to application security tools like Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Software Composition Analysis (SCA), and Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST). Yet, despite this growing investment, the number of successful cyberattacks continues to rise. In 2023 alone, the average cost of a data breach reached $4.45 million, underscoring the persistent gap between security investments and actual security outcomes.

The root of the problem lies in the misalignment between how security teams approach application security and how attackers target applications. While organizations focus heavily on internal code analysis and vulnerability management, attackers are exploiting weaknesses in the application’s runtime environment and chaining vulnerabilities together to achieve their objectives.

The AppSec Investment Landscape

The global cybersecurity market has seen explosive growth, driven by the increasing complexity and frequency of cyber threats. Application security tools, particularly SAST, SCA, and DAST, have become standard components of many organizations' security arsenals. However, these tools' effectiveness has been questioned as security teams grapple with an overwhelming volume of alerts, many of which are false positives.

The "Code Scanning Echo Chamber" 

A significant issue plaguing many organizations is the "Code Scanning Echo Chamber." Traditional tools like SAST and SCA tools generate a high volume of vulnerability alerts, but without the context of how these vulnerabilities might be exploited during runtime, security teams struggle to prioritize and address the most critical threats. This inefficiency wastes resources and leaves organizations vulnerable to attacks that exploit overlooked vulnerabilities.

Understanding the Attacker’s Perspective

Attackers operate with a fundamentally different mindset than security professionals. While security teams focus on identifying and patching vulnerabilities within the code, attackers are more interested in exploiting the application’s exposed surfaces and chaining multiple vulnerabilities to create an effective attack vector.

Bad Actors Employ Attack Chain Methodology 

Cyber attackers often follow a structured approach, identifying initial entry points, escalating privileges, and moving laterally within the network. Understanding their attack chain techniques is crucial for security teams to anticipate and disrupt potential attacks. Studies show that attackers increasingly use sophisticated techniques to evade traditional security measures, such as leveraging legitimate software features to bypass defenses and maintain persistence.

The Disconnect in AppSec Strategies

Traditional AppSec strategies are largely reactive, focusing on identifying and mitigating known vulnerabilities within the code. However, this approach often fails to address the dynamic nature of modern cyber threats. The static analysis provided by SAST and SCA tools lacks the runtime context needed to understand which vulnerabilities are actively exploitable.

The Limitations of Traditional Tools 

While SAST, SCA tools, and DAST tools are essential for identifying potential vulnerabilities, they are often criticized for their high false-positive rates. A recent study found that up to 45% of vulnerabilities flagged by traditional SAST tools were false positives, leading to significant inefficiencies and resource wastage. Without the ability to assess vulnerabilities in the context of the running application, security teams are left with a partial view of the true security risks.

Applications as Gateways to Network Compromise

Applications are increasingly viewed by attackers as gateways to broader network compromise. Once they gain initial access through an application, attackers can move laterally within the network, escalate privileges, and achieve their ultimate objectives, such as data exfiltration or operational disruption.

Initial Access and Lateral Movement 

The application layer is often the most exposed part of an organization’s infrastructure, making it an attractive target for attackers. According to a recent report, 70% of successful cyberattacks in 2023 began with exploiting an application-layer vulnerability. Once inside, attackers use techniques like credential harvesting and network scanning to move laterally and escalate their access.

The Endgame: Achieving Full Compromise 

The ultimate goal for attackers is to achieve full network compromise. Whether it’s stealing sensitive data, deploying ransomware, or disrupting critical operations, the impact of such breaches can be devastating. The 2023 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report highlighted that 45% of breaches involved exploiting web applications, emphasizing the need for more robust application-layer defenses.

Break Out of the Code Scanning Echo Chamber

Organizations must move beyond traditional code scanning tools to effectively protect applications and adopt a more attacker-centric approach. This involves understanding the full attack techniques and focusing on the exploitability of vulnerabilities within the context of the running application.

Adopting a Proactive Defense Posture 

A proactive defense posture requires organizations to anticipate potential attacks and take preemptive action to disrupt them. This shift from reactive vulnerability management to proactive attack chain analysis and exploitability assessment is critical to defending against modern cyber threats.

How Kodem is Revolutionizing Application Security

Kodem transforms application security by integrating runtime intelligence with traditional SAST, SCA security tools, and DAST tools. This approach provides a comprehensive view of an application’s security posture from the attacker’s perspective, enabling organizations to align their defenses with real-world threats.

Provides Full Visibility into Initial Access Points

Runtime-powered SAST provides real-time insights into actively exploitable vulnerabilities during runtime, allowing security teams to prioritize the most critical threats. 

Dynamic SCA continuously monitors open-source and third-party components in real-time, ensuring that newly introduced vulnerabilities are quickly identified and addressed, preventing attackers from exploiting them.

Lateral Movement with Runtime Intelligence and Attack Chain Analysis 

Runtime Intelligence capability offers deep visibility into application behavior during runtime, monitoring for lateral movement and other suspicious activities. 

Attack Chain Analysis maps out potential attack paths, enabling security teams to proactively defend against lateral movement and escalation, effectively disrupting the attacker’s objectives.

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Full Compromise Prevention Runtime with Dynamic SBOMs and Vulnerability Management

Dynamic SBOMs provides a detailed inventory of components in use during runtime, eliminating false positives and allowing security teams to focus on real threats. 

Vulnerability Management ensures that vulnerabilities are addressed at their source, preventing attackers from achieving full network compromise.

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Disrupting the Attack Chain Early with Exploitability Validation and Proactive Defense 

Kodem validates the exploitability of identified vulnerabilities using advanced AI and runtime intelligence, ensuring that security teams are focused on the most actionable threats. By disrupting the attack chain early, Kodem helps prevent attackers from progressing through their intended attack paths.

Kodem Runtime Security Platform Aligns AppSec with Real-World Threats

The evolving landscape of application security requires a shift in strategy. By adopting an attacker-centric approach, organizations can better align their security efforts with the real-world threats they face. Kodem’s runtime-powered application security platform offers the tools and insights needed to make this shift, empowering security teams to see, understand, and disrupt potential attacks before they succeed.

Kodem’s next generation of application security aligns with how attackers view your applications.

To learn more about how Kodem can help your organization align its AppSec strategy with real-world threats, contact us today for a demo. Let’s work together to proactively secure your applications and protect your most critical assets.

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References

1. Cybersecurity Ventures. "Global Cybersecurity Spending Predicted To Exceed $1 Trillion From 2017-2021." Cybersecurity Ventures.
2. IBM. "Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023." IBM.
3. Ponemon Institute. "The State of Vulnerability Management in 2023." Ponemon.
4. Verizon. "2023 Data Breach Investigations Report." Verizon.
5. Gartner. "Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testing, 2023." Gartner.
6. Check Point Research. "The Cyber Attack Trends: 2023 Security Report." Check Point.
7. Forrester. "The State of Application Security, 2023." Forrester.
8. MITRE. "MITRE ATT&CK®: A New Approach to Cybersecurity."