03.11.03: Vulnerability Remediation

Beyond CMMC Level 1

The free web app covers the 17 CMMC Level 1 practices. This requirement is part of the full NIST 800-171 set — get the desktop app to work on all 110 requirements with SPRS scoring. Previously saved data is shown read-only below, and your data always remains exportable in full.

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Security Requirements for 03.11.03 Vulnerability Remediation

Vulnerabilities discovered, for example, via the scanning conducted in response to 03.11.02, 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.

Assessment GuidanceExamine 0/9

How an assessor determines this requirement is met. Source: CMMC Assessment Guide – Level 2, Version 2.13 (NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2).

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].

Assessment Methods

Examine

The process of reviewing, inspecting, observing, studying, or analyzing assessment objects (e.g., policies, procedures, plans, system designs, mechanisms) to facilitate understanding, achieve clarification, or obtain evidence.Example: An assessor reads the access control policy and inspects system configuration settings to confirm they match.

Not all of the evidence listed is required to meet this requirement — check the items your organization has collected.

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

The process of holding discussions with individuals or groups within an organization to facilitate understanding, achieve clarification, or identify the location of evidence.Example: An assessor asks a system administrator to describe how user accounts are approved, reviewed, and disabled.

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

The process of exercising assessment objects (e.g., activities, mechanisms) under specified conditions to compare actual behavior with expected behavior.Example: An assessor attempts to sign in with a disabled account to confirm that access is denied.

Organizational processes for vulnerability scanning, analysis, remediation, and information sharing
Mechanisms supporting or implementing vulnerability scanning, analysis, remediation, and information sharing

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]?

Key References

NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 3.11.3

Overview