How Your Legacy Server Farms are Still at Risk Even with a CVE Scanner

CVE (Common Vulnerabilities & Exposures) scanners are phenomenal at what they do and have extremely high efficacy rates. CVEs occur continually - we analyze and keep an evergreen list of CVEs. The main shortfall of CVE scanners, though - and probably the main reason you’re reading this - is that a CVE Scanner only works for known vulnerabilities. And while that list is vast and the attack vectors, devices, and endpoints are extremely wide, a CVE scanner cannot protect you from the unknown.

Malware only takes milliseconds

If you read any analysis from our Co-founder and CTO, Satya Gupta, you’ll see words like dwell time and millisecond malware - that's because a Remote Code Execution (RCE) deploys its malware package in split seconds.

And when that happens, all of the MDR, EDR, XDR, CVE scanners, and SIEMs are too late - at best, they’ll record the rate and sheer speed at which the attackers move.

Millions of legacy applications are deployed in millions of server farms

Whenever we talk to new prospects, we’re constantly amazed at the volume and scale of home-built applications that have been deployed over the last 26 years for different eras of development - Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Visual Studio, C++, C# and WordPress, Apache, and open source C applications running on RedHat and other Linux Servers.

Some of the largest server farms are in some of the smallest towns and counties, and records are being smashed every day—with Server Admins reporting dizzying numbers: they have 4,000 servers one day and 2 million applications the next.

Keeping up with containers and Kubernetes

OS providers like SUSE, Linux, and Microsoft can only take advantage of new technologies, processors, and cloud deployment models by releasing new Operating Systems. But homegrown applications don't scale beyond server version 1 or 2, and most Windows EXE services don't scale into the cloud world of containers and Kubernetes.

But modern cloud environments don't have the back-window security applications that you need to secure your environment, and you obviously can’t just turn these applications off.

The Virsec Security Platform (VSP) is the missing layer you need - a rapid, highly-evolved server security platform that proactively prevents those environments from being exploited. VSP acts as a security shield, while CVE scanners function like vulnerability checklists.

 Zero trust runtime defense stops ransomware attacks

• Zero Trust Runtime Defense: VSP enforces a "whitelist" approach, only allowing authorized applications to run, stopping malware and unknown threats in real-time. (Unlike EDR/MDR which primarily focus on detection and response after an attack)
• Stops Ransomware and Zero-Day Attacks: VSP doesn't rely on vulnerability databases, making it effective against even unknown threats. (CVE scanners depend on identified vulnerabilities)
• Protects Legacy Applications: VSP safeguards even outdated applications without requiring patches.
• Provides Real-Time Visibility: VSP offers continuous monitoring of application behavior, giving deeper insights than traditional security solutions.

By combining these features, VSP aims to provide a more comprehensive and preventative approach to application security.

For more insights on mitigating the security risks of legacy IT systems, check out Virsec’s newest tools: TrustSight and TrustGuardian.

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