vulnerability

vulnerability

[‚vəl·nə·rə′bil·əd·ē]

(computer science)

A weakness in a computing system that can result in harm to the system or its operations, especially when this weakness is exploited by a hostile person or organization or when it is present in conjunction with particular events or circumstances.

Vulnerability

Vulgarity (See COARSENESS.)

Achilles

warrior vulnerable only in his heel. [Gk. Myth.: Zimmerman, 4]

Antaeus

only vulnerable if not touching ground. [Gk. and Rom. Myth.: Hall, 151]

Balder

conquerable only with mistletoe. [Norse Myth.: Walsh Classical, 43]

Diarmuid

Irish Achilles, killed through cunning Fionn’s deceit. [Irish Myth.: Jobes, 443; Parrinder, 79]

Maginot Line

French fortification zone along German border; thought impregnable before WWII. [Fr. Hist.: NCE, 1658]

Samson

strength derived from his hair; betrayed by Delilah. [O.T.: Judges 16]

Siegfried

vulnerable in only one spot on his back. [Ger. Opera: Wagner, Götterdämmerung, Westerman, 245]

Siegfried Line

German fortification zone opposite the Maginot Line between Germany and France. [Ger. Hist.: WB, 17: 370]

Superman

invulnerable except for Kryptonite. [TV: “The Adventures of Superman” in Terrace, I, 38; Comics: Horn, 642]

vulnerability

A security exposure in an operating system or other system software or application software component. Before the Internet became mainstream and exposed every organization in the world to every attacker on the planet, vulnerabilities surely existed, but were not as often exploited.

In light of this madness, mostly perpetrated against Microsoft products, the architecture of future operating systems has changed. Designing software to be bulletproof against attacks is like building a house where every square inch is fortified with steel and sensors that detect intrusions. Patching an existing operating system written by hundreds of programmers who were not dwelling on this issue when they wrote the code is an onerous job.

Security firms maintain databases of vulnerabilities based on version number of the software. If exploited, each vulnerability can potentially compromise the system or network. To search for vulnerabilities and exposures in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), visit http://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/search?cid=1. See network security scanner and vulnerability disclosure.