Vulnerability Management Program Implementation

In this project, we simulate the implementation of a comprehensive vulnerability management program, from inception to completion.

Inception State: the organization has no existing policy or vulnerability management practices in place.

Completion State: a formal policy is enacted, stakeholder buy-in is secured, and a full cycle of organization-wide vulnerability remediation is successfully completed.

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Technology Utilized

• Tenable (enterprise vulnerability management platform)
• Azure Virtual Machines (Nessus scan engine + scan targets)
• PowerShell (remediation scripts)

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Table of Contents

• Vulnerability Management Policy Draft Creation
• Mock Meeting: Policy Buy-In (Stakeholders)
• Policy Finalization and Senior Leadership Sign-Off
• Meeting Script: Initial Scan Permission (Server Team)
• Initial Scan of Server Team Assets
• Vulnerability Assessment and Prioritization
• Distributing Remediations to Remediation Teams
• Meeting Script: Post-Initial Discovery Scan (Server Team)
• Meeting Script: Implementing Remediations
• Remediation Efforts and Scans
• First Cycle Remediation Effort Summary

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Vulnerability Management Policy Draft Creation

This phase focuses on drafting a Vulnerability Management Policy as a starting point for stakeholder engagement. The initial draft outlines scope, responsibilities, and remediation timelines, and may be adjusted based on feedback from relevant departments to ensure practical implementation before final approval by upper management.
Draft Policy

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Step 2) Mock Meeting: Policy Buy-In (Stakeholders)

In this phase, a meeting with the server team introduces the draft Vulnerability Management Policy and assesses their capability to meet remediation timelines. Feedback leads to adjustments, like extending the critical remediation window from 48 hours to one week, ensuring collaborative implementation.

Meeting Script: Stakeholder Policy Buy-In Meeting

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Step 3) Policy Finalization and Senior Leadership Sign-Off

After gathering feedback from the server team, the policy is revised, addressing aggressive remediation timelines. With final approval from upper management, the policy now guides the program, ensuring compliance and reference for pushback resolution.
Finalized Policy

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Step 4) Mock Meeting: Initial Scan Permission (Server Team)

The team collaborates with the server team to initiate scheduled credential scans. A compromise is reached to scan a single server first, monitoring resource impact, and using just-in-time Active Directory credentials for secure, controlled access.
Meeting Script: Initial Discovery Scan

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Step 5) Initial Scan of Server Team Assets

An initial scan was performed using authenticated credentials. The following key vulnerabilities were detected:

• SMB Signing Not Required (Plugin 57608)
• SSL Self-Signed Certificate (Plugin 57582)
• SSL Certificate Cannot Be Trusted (Plugin 51192)
• SSL Medium Strength Cipher Suites Supported (SWEET32) (Plugin 42873)
• TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 Detected (Plugins 104743, 157288)
• ICMP Timestamp Disclosure (Plugin 10114)

View Scan Report

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Step 6) Vulnerability Assessment and Prioritization

We prioritized the following remediation areas based on risk and exploitability:

1. Paint 3D Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-35374, CVE-2023-32047)
2. WinVerifyTrust Signature Validation Vulnerability (CVE-2013-3900)
3. Deprecated Protocols (TLS 1.0/1.1)
4. Insecure Ciphers and Certificates

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Step 7) Distributing Remediations to Remediation Teams

Custom PowerShell scripts and a remediation guide were shared with the server team to implement fixes efficiently.

Subject: Vulnerability Remediation Scripts for Testing and Deployment

Hi Team,

Based on our initial vulnerability scan and assessment, we have created a PowerShell script to help you tackle the initial remediation efforts. This script targets key Windows OS misconfigurations and cryptographic vulnerabilities, and it can be integrated into your deployment platform (e.g., SCCM). Please test it before deploying to production.

Vulnerabilities and Remediations:

1. Windows OS Secure Configuration (TLS 1.0 / 1.1 Protocol Removal)
2. Windows OS Secure Configuration (Weak SSL Cipher Suites - SWEET32)
3. Windows OS Secure Configuration (SMB Signing Requirement)
4. Windows OS Secure Configuration (WinVerifyTrust Signature Validation - CVE-2013-3900)

Let me know if you have any questions or need any adjustments!

Best regards,
Sebastien Simon, Security Analyst
Governance, Risk, and Compliance

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Step 8) Mock Meeting: Post-Initial Discovery Scan (Server Team)

The scan results were reviewed in a follow-up meeting. The team agreed on action items and prepared changes for CAB approval.
Meeting Script)

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Step 9) Mock CAB Meeting: Implementing Remediations

A change request was submitted for disabling insecure protocols, applying Windows updates, and patching Paint 3D vulnerabilities. Rollback strategies were included.
Meeting Script

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Step 10) Remediation Effort

✅ WinVerifyTrust RCE Fix

• Registry key for EnableCertPaddingCheck was created to address CVE-2013-3900.

✅ Paint 3D Upgrades

• Upgraded from 6.1907.29027.0 to 6.2305.16087.0 to resolve CVEs from 2021–2023.

✅ TLS and Cipher Remediation

• Disabled TLS 1.0/1.1 and removed 3DES cipher suites (SWEET32).

✅ SSL Certificate Remediation

• Replaced self-signed certificates with trusted ones.

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First Cycle Remediation Effort Summary

The program achieved a 91% reduction in vulnerabilities, successfully eliminating all critical and high-severity issues from the environment.

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On-going Vulnerability Management (Maintenance Mode)

Post-remediation, the program enters maintenance mode, guided by the finalized policy.

Key activities:

• 🔁 Regular Tenable authenticated scans (weekly)
• ⚙️ Automated patch management (WSUS & Intune)
• 🧾 Quarterly policy reviews
• 📋 Internal compliance audits
• 🤝 Monthly team sync for updates

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By integrating continuous monitoring and stakeholder accountability, the vulnerability management program strengthens overall security posture and prepares the organization for evolving threats.