vulnerabilities
Points of exposure
Vulnerabilities is the plural of vulnerability—weaknesses or gaps that leave someone or something open to harm, attack, or exploitation.
Security experts scan for vulnerabilities in software systems.
Emotional vulnerabilities are tender spots where a person can be hurt: He exploited her vulnerabilities.
The word often appears in contexts where defenses are being assessed or breached.
Ease of breaking
- brittlenessProne to snapping
- structural weaknessFlaw in construction integrity
- fault lineTectonic boundary crack
- corrosionChemical wearing away
deterioration · wear · decay · fatigue · erosion · instability · collapse · fracture
Notable act or abuse
- zero-dayUnpatched security vulnerability
- patchMaterial covering damage
- buffer overflowExceeding allocated memory bounds
- backdoorHidden bypass mechanism
penetration testing · attack vector · security flaw · privilege escalation · code injection · misconfiguration · unpatched · disclosure
Indication of potential harm
precariousness · uncertainty · contingency · liability · susceptibility · at-risk · endangered · compromised
Responsiveness to stimuli
- insecurityUncertainty about oneself
- defenselessnessState of being unprotected
- opennessQuality of being accessible
- trustConfidence in another
intimacy · authenticity · rawness · tenderness · exposure · wounded · guarded · self-doubt
Deficiency in force
- deficiencyLack of something needed
- shortcomingA fault or weakness
- flawImperfection in something
- limitationBound on extent
inadequacy · susceptibility · liability · Achilles heel · blind spot · gap · soft spot · chink in armor
Potential for financial loss
- privacy breachUnauthorized access to personal information
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- oversharingRevealing too much personally
- transparencyState of being see-through
unprotected · open port · unsecured · unencrypted · visible · accessible · broadcast · revealed
fragility
Ease of breaking
- brittlenessProne to snapping
- structural weaknessFlaw in construction integrity
- fault lineTectonic boundary crack
corrosion · deterioration · wear · decay · fatigue · erosion · instability · collapse · fracture · load-bearing
exploit
Notable act or abuse
- zero-dayUnpatched security vulnerability
- patchMaterial covering damage
- buffer overflowExceeding allocated memory bounds
backdoor · penetration testing · attack vector · security flaw · privilege escalation · code injection · misconfiguration · unpatched · disclosure · proof of concept
threat
Indication of potential harm
jeopardy · precariousness · uncertainty · contingency · liability · susceptibility · at-risk · endangered · compromised · high-risk
sensitivity
Responsiveness to stimuli
- insecurityUncertainty about oneself
- defenselessnessState of being unprotected
- opennessQuality of being accessible
trust · intimacy · authenticity · rawness · tenderness · exposure · wounded · guarded · self-doubt · shame
weakness
Deficiency in force
- deficiencyLack of something needed
- shortcomingA fault or weakness
- flawImperfection in something
limitation · inadequacy · susceptibility · liability · Achilles heel · blind spot · gap · soft spot · chink in armor · frailty
risk exposure
Potential for financial loss
- privacy breachUnauthorized access to personal information
- disclosureAct of revealing information
- oversharingRevealing too much personally
transparency · unprotected · open port · unsecured · unencrypted · visible · accessible · broadcast · revealed · detection
- inner lifeidentity, feelings, memory, thoughts, self-discovery
- hidden thingssecrets, motives, agendas, subtext, undercurrents
- intimacykiss, hug, embrace, closeness, snuggling
- inner selfself, soul, psyche, inner being, true self
- classified inteltop secret, classified, classified documents, state secrets, military secrets
- software issuesbugs, errors, crashes, glitches, exceptions
vulnerabilitiesimmunities
Protections from penalty or disease
resistances · protections · defenses · invulnerabilities · safeguards
vulnerabilitiesstrengths
Powers or capabilities
robustness · assets · resilience · fortitude · reinforcements
vulnerabilitiespatches
Pieces sewn over holes
fixes · firewalls · countermeasures · mitigations · hardening
vulnerable, invulnerable, vulnerability, invulnerability, vulnerably, vulnerableness