The cybersecurity landscape witnessed unprecedented vulnerabilities during 2024, with a record-breaking 40,009 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) published.
This marks a staggering 38% increase from the 28,818 CVEs reported in 2023, highlighting the rapidly evolving nature of cyber threats.
The surge in CVEs reflects the growing complexity of software systems and the expanding attack surface for cybercriminals.
On average, 108 new vulnerabilities were disclosed daily throughout 2024, keeping security professionals on high alert.
May emerged as the most critical month, with 5,010 CVEs released, accounting for 12.5% of the year’s total.
Notably, May 3rd set a single-day record with 824 CVEs published. Tuesdays proved to be the busiest day for vulnerability disclosures, with 9,706 CVEs (24.3% of the total) released on this day of the week.
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Severity And Impact
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provided insights into the severity of these vulnerabilities. The average CVSS score for 2024 was 6.67, indicating a moderate to high severity level overall.
Alarmingly, 231 vulnerabilities received a “perfect” score of 10.0, signifying critical security risks that demand immediate attention, reads the report.
This surge in vulnerabilities has significant implications for organizations worldwide.
A report by Qualys revealed that over the first seven-and-a-half months of 2024, newly disclosed CVEs increased by 30% compared to the same period in 2023.
However, only a fraction of these vulnerabilities (204 or 0.9%) were actively weaponized by threat actors.
The rise in vulnerabilities correlates with an increase in cyber attacks, particularly ransomware. In 2023, ransomware emerged as the most frequently reported type of cyberattack globally.
Additionally, 81% of organizations faced malware threats in 2024, underscoring the persistent nature of this security challenge.
Vulnerability exploitation remains a prevalent initial access vector for attackers.
Notable CVEs exploited in 2024 included vulnerabilities in widely-used systems such as Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS, Check Point Security Gateways, and Windows SmartScreen.
Industry Response And Recommendations
The cybersecurity community has responded to this surge with increased collaboration and improved vulnerability management strategies.
The MITRE Corporation’s analysis of 31,770 CVE Records between June 2023 and June 2024 has led to more accurate mapping and classification of vulnerabilities.
Security experts recommend:
- Implementing robust and dynamic vulnerability management strategies.
- Prioritizing the patching of high-risk vulnerabilities, especially those with high EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores.
- Focusing on comprehensive security measures rather than solely on compliance requirements like PCI DSS.
As we move further into 2025, the trend of increasing vulnerabilities is expected to continue.
This underscores the critical need for organizations to remain vigilant, invest in advanced security measures, and adopt proactive approaches to vulnerability management.
As software systems become more complex and interconnected, the discovery and disclosure of vulnerabilities are likely to accelerate.
Organizations must adapt their security strategies to keep pace with this rapidly changing environment to protect their assets and data effectively.
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