Dealing with vulnerable and outdated components is the number one risk in software supply-chain security. The challenges of maintaining a full component inventory and keeping up with constant feature updates and security patches require a more proactive approach built around dynamic testing to check what you’re running and which component vulnerabilities to prioritize.
Vulnerable and outdated components remain a persistent cybersecurity threat across modern software development. As part of the OWASP Top 10, this category (classified as A06:2021) highlights the dangers of using components with known security vulnerabilities or those that are no longer supported. Without proper management, these weak links can be the entry point for serious attacks on your web applications.
Let’s break down what makes this supply-chain security risk so critical—and how to defend against it with an approach that combines proper inventory management with dynamic security testing to focus priority components with real, exploitable vulnerabilities.
Vulnerable and outdated components refer to third-party libraries, frameworks, or software dependencies that have known security flaws and/or are no longer maintained. These components often include:
In many cases, third-party components are integrated into applications without ongoing monitoring across the entire software lifecycle, potentially leaving them exposed to exploits long after patches are released.
A common example involves outdated versions of Apache Struts. In 2017, an unpatched vulnerability in Apache Struts was exploited in a major data breach that impacted millions. Despite the availability of updates, many organizations continued using the flawed version, unaware of the risk or unable to update due to compatibility issues.
Other examples include:
Apart from having security vulnerabilities, third-party components can also be dangerous in other ways. Read and listen about the Polyfill library crisis where a new project owner started including malicious code in an established package used by thousands of sites.
There are many valid reasons to continue using an older version of a software library or other component. New versions require testing before and after deployment to make sure they don’t break existing functionality, so sticking with an older version for some time may be a practical necessity. Problems begin when the old version has a known vulnerability that increases your attack surface.
Neglecting these components introduces several security and operational risks:
By prioritizing the identification and remediation of these components, organizations can reduce the likelihood of being breached through known attack vectors.
The key to protection is proactive management—knowing what’s in your application, monitoring for vulnerabilities, and acting on verified threats.
Finding and patching every single outdated component isn’t always realistic—but fixing the ones that matter is. That’s why organizations benefit from combining SCA with dynamic application security testing (DAST). While static SCA helps identify outdated components in your code, DAST (and its own dynamic SCA) shows you what components you’re running and whether they have vulnerabilities that are actually exploitable in your live environment.
A DAST-first approach cuts through the noise by validating component vulnerabilities and showing which of them malicious hackers could use. This not only accelerates triage and remediation but also helps security and development teams stay focused on real risk, not false positives or theoretical alerts.
Most organizations rely on static SCA tools to identify outdated or risky components. While static SCA plays a vital role in visibility, it often generates an overwhelming number of alerts—many of which may not be actionable in a real-world context. This creates alert fatigue, delays remediation, and can distract teams from addressing critical issues.
A DAST-first approach flips this model by focusing on actual exploitable vulnerabilities in running applications. Rather than flagging every outdated library present on the server side or your code repository, DAST identifies vulnerable components based on fingerprinting and observed runtime behavior during scanning.
Here’s how a DAST-first strategy adds value:
When used alongside static SCA, a DAST-first approach ensures that you’re not just reacting to aging software but actively securing your applications against the real-world threats those components can introduce. It’s the fastest, most efficient way to reduce risk and protect your application stack from vulnerabilities that matter. And while static SCA only addresses software component security, DAST also covers vulnerabilities in first-party code, APIs, and dynamic dependencies, as well as security misconfigurations and more.
Running vulnerable or outdated components is a constant risk with complex modern software, but they don’t have to be your Achilles’ heel. By knowing what’s in your stack and using security tools that validate real-world risk, you can drastically reduce your exposure.
Combining SBOMs and a robust patch management process with continuous discovery and dynamic security testing through a DAST-first approach is the most effective way to stay secure without slowing down development.
LEARN MORE ABOUT IDENTIFYING VULNERABLE COMPONENTS: Vulnerability Scanner