Factor	Weight	Question
CVSS Score	Base severity	How severe is the vuln?
EPSS Score	Exploit likelihood	Is it being exploited?
Asset Value	Business context	What's at risk?
Exposure	Attack surface	Internet-facing?

Prioritization Decision Tree

Is it actively exploited (EPSS >0.5)?
├── YES → CRITICAL: Immediate action
└── NO → Check CVSS
         ├── CVSS ≥9.0 → HIGH
         ├── CVSS 7.0-8.9 → Consider asset value
         └── CVSS <7.0 → Schedule for later

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6. Exceptional Conditions (A10 - New)

Fail-Open vs Fail-Closed

Scenario	Fail-Open (BAD)	Fail-Closed (GOOD)
Auth error	Allow access	Deny access
Parsing fails	Accept input	Reject input
Timeout	Retry forever	Limit + abort

What to Check

• Exception handlers that catch-all and ignore
• Missing error handling on security operations
• Race conditions in auth/authz
• Resource exhaustion scenarios

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7. Scanning Methodology

Phase-Based Approach

1. RECONNAISSANCE
   └── Understand the target
       ├── Technology stack
       ├── Entry points
       └── Data flows

2. DISCOVERY
   └── Identify potential issues
       ├── Configuration review
       ├── Dependency analysis
       └── Code pattern search

3. ANALYSIS
   └── Validate and prioritize
       ├── False positive elimination
       ├── Risk scoring
       └── Attack chain mapping

4. REPORTING
   └── Actionable findings
       ├── Clear reproduction steps
       ├── Business impact
       └── Remediation guidance

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8. Code Pattern Analysis

High-Risk Patterns

Pattern	Risk	Look For
String concat in queries	Injection	"SELECT * FROM " + user_input
Dynamic code execution	RCE	eval(), exec(), Function()
Unsafe deserialization	RCE	pickle.loads(), unserialize()
Path manipulation	Traversal	User input in file paths
Disabled security	Various	verify=False, --insecure

Secret Patterns

Type	Indicators
API Keys	api_key, apikey, high entropy
Tokens	token, bearer, jwt
Credentials	password, secret, key
Cloud	AWS_, AZURE_, GCP_ prefixes

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9. Cloud Security Considerations

Shared Responsibility

Layer	You Own	Provider Owns
Data	✅	❌
Application	✅	❌
OS/Runtime	Depends	Depends
Infrastructure	❌	✅

Cloud-Specific Checks

• IAM: Least privilege applied?
• Storage: Public buckets?
• Network: Security groups tightened?
• Secrets: Using secrets manager?

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10. Anti-Patterns

❌ Don't	✅ Do
Scan without understanding	Map attack surface first
Alert on every CVE	Prioritize by exploitability + asset
Ignore false positives	Maintain verified baseline
Fix symptoms only	Address root causes
Scan once before deploy	Continuous scanning
Trust third-party deps blindly	Verify integrity, audit code

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11. Reporting Principles

Finding Structure

Each finding should answer:

1. What? - Clear vulnerability description
2. Where? - Exact location (file, line, endpoint)
3. Why? - Root cause explanation
4. Impact? - Business consequence
5. How to fix? - Specific remediation

Severity Classification

Severity	Criteria
Critical	RCE, auth bypass, mass data exposure
High	Data exposure, privilege escalation
Medium	Limited scope, requires conditions
Low	Informational, best practice

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Remember: Vulnerability scanning finds issues. Expert thinking prioritizes what matters. Always ask: "What would an attacker do with this?"

When to Use

This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.