Cyber Security in a Complex Community: A Social Media Analysis on Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures
Madeline C. Schiappa, Graham Chantry, Ivan I. Garibay · 2019
Social media platforms such as Twitter, Github, and Reddit are widely used forums for discussing all aspects of computer security. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) are a frequent recurring topic given their potential for malicious exploitation. We want to understand more about the discussions that are taking place on these platforms and how they may influence a vulnerability's lifespan and “exploitability”. We will do this by analyzing conversations on these platforms that reference a CVE identification number in both content, lifespan, and spread. We found that Twitter is the most common platform for discussion followed by Github. Github discussions indicate the attack vector of a CVE if exploited while Twitter indicates the impact of exploited CVEs. Our findings conclude that by tracking social media outlets, security vendors can identify CVEs with a high probability of malicious exploitation and proactively generate protection.