Vulnerability Assessment Scan Essay
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School
Grand Canyon University *
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Course
340
Subject
Information Systems
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
3
Uploaded by CorporalHummingbird3807
Brian Centers
ITT – 340
February 4, 2023
Professor Ingrid Gaviria
Vulnerability Assessment Essay
The first critical vulnerability that was discovered during the OpenVAS scan was a buffer
overflow attack. This attack occurs when the volume of data is far greater than the storage
capacity of the memory buffer within a server. If a hacker were to execute this attack and if they
also knew the memory layout of a program, they could gain access to the network the server is
on and they could install new programs which could view, change, or delete data. For this
particular vulnerability, a software patch is necessary to install immediately to remedy the
vulnerability, but stricter security measures within the code could also help prevent this attack
from ever happening.
The next critical vulnerability that was found involved another attack that could allow for
remote code execution, which involves an attacker creating a Server Message Block (or SMB)
packet and sending the packet to a vulnerable or affect system. Should this packet make its way
onto the system, the attacker could gain full control of the system in the same manner as the
buffer overflow attack. Again, the best method of fixing this vulnerability is to install a software
patch on the system. Proper firewall configurations of the system is usually the best preventative
measure to prevent an SMB packet from manipulating the system and giving an attacker full
access to the server and to the network.
Another critical vulnerability that was discovered during the scan was an SMB version 2
Infinite Loop Vulnerability. With this denial of service attack, the bad actor could cause the
system to lock up and become completely unusable until the system is physically restarted. This
vulnerability is similar to the SMB packet vulnerability, however, since the attack is a denial of
service attack, it does not grant the attacker access to the system or the network, as it simply
freezes up the system until it can be restarted by a server administrator. Again, a software patch
is the best remedy to fix the problem, but proper firewall configurations could have possibly
prevented this attack from ever taking place.
Finally, these scans were able to be executed because there were open ports that were
accessed within the virtual machines. Had these ports existed on actual servers or systems on a
network, a hacker could use any scanning tool to identify these open ports and gain access to the
system and eventually to the network. Open port vulnerabilities can usually result in data
becoming compromised or even removed completely from the system. The best course of action
to prevent unwanted users from accessing these open ports is to properly secure all open ports by
making sure that they encrypt all traffic to the port, or to completely shut off access to the port.
Advanced persistent threat (APT) actors love to prey on unprotected systems, and the
vulnerabilities discovered within this scan could definitely be exploited by APT actors. Not only
do network administrators need to properly configure the systems on the network with the
necessary security measures from their initial implementation, but they must also make sure that
they apply all available software patches when they immediately become available. Another
security measure that goes a long way in protecting a given network is constant network
surveillance. In most cases, constant network surveillance can detect intruders or unusual activity
on the network that can identify a pending attack. Constant network surveillance does require
finances and resources that many small to medium companies may not have, but this surveillance
can go a long way in saving the company from future attacks that could be even more costly.
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