Requirement
Remediate vulnerabilities in accordance with risk assessments.
Assessment Objectives
- Vulnerabilities are identified
- Vulnerabilities are remediated in accordance with risk assessments
Potential Assessment Methods and Objects [NIST SP 800-171A]
Examine
- Risk assessment policy
- Procedures addressing vulnerability scanning
- Risk assessment
- System security plan
- Security assessment report
- Vulnerability scanning tools and associated configuration documentation
- Vulnerability scanning results
- Patch and vulnerability management records
- Other relevant documents or records
Interview
- Personnel with risk assessment, security assessment and vulnerability scanning responsibilities
- Personnel with vulnerability scan analysis responsibilities
- Personnel with vulnerability remediation responsibilities
- Personnel with information security responsibilities
- System or network administrators
Test
- Organizational processes for vulnerability scanning, analysis, remediation, and information sharing
- Mechanisms supporting or implementing vulnerability scanning, analysis, remediation, and information sharing
Discussion [NIST SP 800-171 REV. 2]
Vulnerabilities discovered, for example, via the scanning conducted in response to RA.L2-3.11.2, are remediated with consideration of the related assessment of risk. The consideration of risk influences the prioritization of remediation efforts and the level of effort to be expended in the remediation for specific vulnerabilities.
Further Discussion
Not all vulnerabilities captured in a vulnerability scanner may pose the same level of risk to an organization. Prioritize mitigation efforts to close the most critical vulnerabilities first. Track all vulnerability remediation to ensure completion; also track vulnerabilities that you have determined not to remediate. This requirement, RA.L2-3.11.3, benefits from CA.L2-3.12.2. RA.L2-3.11.3 allows remediation of vulnerabilities to take place based on the developed plans of actions for vulnerabilities from CA.L2-3.12.2.
Examples
Example 1
You are a system administrator. Each quarter you receive a list of vulnerabilities generated by your company's vulnerability scanner [a]. You prioritize that list and note which vulnerabilities should be targeted as soon as possible as well as which vulnerabilities you can safely defer addressing at this time. You document the reasoning behind accepting the risk of the unremediated flaws and note to continue to monitor these vulnerabilities in case you need to revise the decision at a later date [b].
Potential Assessment Considerations
- Are the results of risk assessments used to prioritize vulnerabilities for remediation [b]?
- For any given vulnerability is action taken for remediation, acceptance, avoidance, or transference of the vulnerability risk [b]?
- Are all high risk vulnerabilities prioritized [b]?
References
- NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 3.11.3
