Top Repos By Vulnerabilities

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1. Day in the Life of an AppSec Engineer Using This Chart

An Application Security (AppSec) Engineer would use this Top Repositories by Vulnerability chart to monitor and prioritize remediation efforts for repositories with the highest security risks. Here’s how it fits into their daily workflow:

• Morning Security Review:

  • The engineer checks which repositories have the highest number of vulnerabilities.

  • If a specific repo (e.g., ck-test-org-1/nodejs-goof) has significantly more vulnerabilities than others, they flag it for immediate action.

• Prioritizing Fixes:

  • Works with developers responsible for the top vulnerable repos to prioritize fixes for high-risk issues.

  • If a repository has a large number of critical and high-severity vulnerabilities, they may recommend temporary access restrictions or hotfixes.

• Security Meetings & Reporting:

  • Uses this chart in weekly security meetings to discuss the most vulnerable repositories.

  • Helps justify decisions on security debt reduction strategies and engineering efforts.

• Compliance & Risk Mitigation:

  • Ensures that repositories meeting compliance requirements (e.g., SOC2, PCI-DSS, NIST 800-53) are not at risk due to unresolved vulnerabilities.

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2. Impact on AppSec Operations

This chart significantly improves security operations by providing visibility into high-risk repositories. The impact includes:

• Faster Remediation of High-Risk Codebases:

  • Security teams can focus on the most vulnerable repositories first, reducing attack surface exposure.

• Improved Developer Security Awareness:

  • Developers working on high-risk repositories get clear visibility into security risks and can implement fixes faster.

• Better Collaboration Between Security & Engineering Teams:

  • Security engineers use this dashboard to engage developers in vulnerability remediation efforts.

  • Helps create security champions within engineering teams.

• Optimized Patch Deployment Strategy:

  • By addressing the most vulnerable repos first, teams reduce the risk of widespread security incidents.

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3. What Decisions Does This Chart Drive?

• Which repositories should be remediated first?

  • If a repo has significantly more critical and high-severity vulnerabilities, it should be prioritized for fixes immediately.

• Are security risks concentrated in a few repositories or spread across many?

  • If one repo has a disproportionately high number of vulnerabilities, it might indicate:

    • Insecure coding practices.

    • Outdated dependencies.

    • Lack of automated security scanning.

• Should development teams focus on secure coding practices?

  • If the same repositories consistently show security issues, it suggests a training gap in secure coding practices.

• Are vulnerabilities being effectively remediated over time?

  • If this chart remains static week after week, it means security efforts are not effective in reducing vulnerabilities.

• Do we need automated security scanning?

  • If vulnerabilities are repeatedly found in certain repos, automation tools (SAST, dependency checks) may need to be enforced at the CI/CD level.

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Final Thoughts

This Top Repos by Vulnerability chart is a critical tool for security teams to identify and remediate high-risk repositories efficiently. It ensures:

✅ Fast prioritization of security fixes. ✅ Improved collaboration between developers and security engineers. ✅ Optimized patching and vulnerability management. ✅ Stronger compliance with security frameworks.