Vulnerability Reporting Program (VRP)

Security vulnerabilities are flaws in software or hardware that can be exploited by attackers. Security researchers often discover and report these vulnerabilities to help improve security. However, reporting security vulnerabilities is not always easy. There are different models and guidelines for disclosing vulnerabilities, and different expectations and incentives for both researchers and vendors. In this article, we will explore responsible disclosure, which is a widely adopted approach for reporting and rewarding security vulnerabilities in a coordinated and ethical manner.

Responsible disclosure is a process where security researchers report vulnerabilities to the affected vendors or owners privately and wait for them to fix them before making them public. The vendors acknowledge the reports, communicate with the researchers, fix the vulnerabilities in a reasonable timeline, and reward or credit the researchers. This process balances the interests of researchers, vendors, and users. Researchers can report vulnerabilities safely. Vendors can fix vulnerabilities before they are exploited. Users can enjoy improved security and timely updates.

Responsible disclosure has many benefits for both researchers and vendors, such as:

It builds collaboration and trust between researchers and vendors.It lowers the risk of zero-day attacks, which exploit unknown vulnerabilities.It motivates researchers to report vulnerabilities ethically and constructively, not sell or disclose them irresponsibly.It helps vendors prioritize and allocate resources for fixing vulnerabilities effectively and efficiently.It boosts the reputation and credibility of both researchers and vendors in the security community.It rewards and recognizes researchers who improve security.

Responsible disclosure is not without challenges, however. Some of the common challenges are:

Clear and consistent communication between researchers and vendors is hard due to different time zones, languages, cultures, or expectations.Cooperation and responsiveness of both parties vary depending on their resources, policies, or attitudes.Attackers may find and exploit vulnerabilities before they are fixed, especially with insider information or leaked details.Some researchers may prefer public disclosure as soon as possible, for ethics or publicitySome vendors may ignore or downplay vulnerabilities, for money or denial.

To implement responsible disclosure effectively, both researchers and vendors need to follow some best practices, such as:

Researchers should:

Respect the privacy and property rights of others when conducting security testing.Make reasonable efforts to contact the vendors of the affected systems using secure channels.Provide sufficient details and evidence to allow the vendors to verify and reproduce the vulnerabilities.Not demand payment or rewards for reporting vulnerabilities outside of an established bug bounty program.Not disclose any details of the vulnerabilities publicly until the vendors have issued a patch or a mitigation, or until a mutually agreed deadline has passed.

Vendors should:

Provide a clear method for researchers to securely report vulnerabilities, such as an email address, a web form, or a bug bounty platform.Clearly establish the scope and terms of any bug bounty programs that offer rewards or recognition for reporting vulnerabilities.Respond to reports in a reasonable timeline and acknowledge their receipt.Communicate openly with researchers about the status and progress of fixing the vulnerabilities.Not threaten legal action against researchers who act in good faith and follow responsible disclosure guidelines.Request CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) where appropriate to assign unique identifiers to the reported vulnerabilities.Publish clear security advisories and changelogs when releasing patches or mitigations.Offer rewards and credit to researchers who report valid vulnerabilities.

Responsible disclosure is a common and good way to tell and reward security problems. It balances the interests of researchers, vendors, and users. It helps both researchers and vendors in many ways, such as making security and reputation better. But it also has some problems, such as talking and working together issues. To do responsible disclosure well, both researchers and vendors need to follow some good practices, such as respecting privacy, giving details, not asking for money, not telling publicly, giving a way, setting a range, answering quickly, talking openly, asking for CVEs, making advisories, and giving rewards.

References

https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/Vulnerability_Disclosure_Cheat_Sheet.html