Even the most common desktop applications have vulnerabilities. Bit9 has compiled a list of desktop applications with known vulnerabilities to help IT departments gain control over their desktops. Each application in this list has the following characteristics.
- Is well-known in the consumer space and frequently downloaded by individuals
- Is not classified as malicious software by enterprise IT organizations
- Registered in the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) official vulnerability database at http://nvd.nist.gov
- Every item listed has a severity rating of between 7.0-10.0 (high) on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS)
- Relies on the end user, rather than an administrator, to patch or upgrade the software to eliminate the vulnerability, if such a patch exists