Embedded systems power today's most critical technologies, from automotive control units to medical and industrial devices. Yet even a single vulnerability can expose your entire product line to cyber risk and CRA non-compliance.
Here are the five most common firmware vulnerabilities and how to prevent them.
1. Buffer Overflows
Data written beyond memory boundaries can cause corruption or code execution.
Prevent it: validate inputs, use safe string functions, and run binary-level checks before release.
2. Memory Leaks & Stack Corruption
Unreleased or corrupted memory leads to crashes in safety-critical systems.
Prevent it: automate memory checks, analyze heap and stack usage, and scan firmware for anomalies.
3. Insecure Third Party Libraries
Outdated open-source components often contain known CVEs.
Prevent it: maintain an SBOM, track dependencies, and scan regularly for vulnerable libraries.
4. Weak Encryption & Authentication
Hardcoded passwords or weak crypto make firmware easy to exploit.
Prevent it: apply modern encryption standards, remove hardcoded secrets, and secure key storage.
5. Lack of Continuous Monitoring
Even good code decays over time as new threats emerge.
Prevent it: integrate automated vulnerability scanning into your CI/CD pipeline and monitor post-deployment.
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