Use Case

Endpoint Vulnerability Management,
Built on Runtime Evidence

Surface dangerous risks in software without relying on CVEs.

Risk score chart plotting Runtime Risk versus CVSS Score with colored dots and three notifications labeled New Risk Detected.

Spektion starts vulnerability management at the lowest possible level of observable application behavior, monitoring for risky actions, misconfigurations, and privilege escalations in the runtime environment created when software is in use.

How runtime evidence works

Spektion works by monitoring for insecure software behavior in your existing runtime environment. New insecure behavior represents a deviation from an established baseline.

Here's how Spektion helps vulnerability management teams make smart, fast mitigation decisions in complex systems.

A lightweight, passive sensor monitors your systems' runtime environment: Spektion learns what normal looks like for every application in your environment. Zero manual tuning required.

Overall Risk Score chart showing a grade F and a -6% worsening in the last 30 days with a line graph from June 30 to July 15 indicating risk levels rising to critical.
Notification displaying a runtime risk detected warning stating health.exe creates a new service named InnovativeSolutions_monitor.exe dated Jan 1, 2025.

Flags deviations that indicate risk: Including unusual privileged operations or network access, memory access, elevated privileges, exploitation signals, and other suspicious runtime behaviors.

Enriches CVSS scoring and threat intel where available: Creating a runtime risk score to show how your context reflects CVSS scores.

Table showing two Windows OS versions v12.1.0.0 and v24.67.34.12 with runtime score F, highest CVSS scores 9.6 and 9.5, and counts of critical and high vulnerabilities.
Button with a shield icon and lock symbol, labeled 'Enable PPL for LSASS process,' highlighted with a cursor pointer on dark background.

Presents a prioritized risk view: Including remediation next steps and options beyond patching.

Use Cases

Runtime Evidence Changes Vulnerability Management

Runtime evidence moves vulnerability management from a reactive, triage-based process into a proactive, scalable approach. Get ahead of vulnerability risk and build a compelling business case for change.

Comparison chart showing Traditional CVE-Based Vulnerability Management with steps CVE database scan, theoretical CVSS score prioritization, patch management queue, reactive process with mixed outcomes, and limitations including no behavioral context and high false positives versus Runtime Vulnerability Management with continuous behavioral monitoring, behavioral risk scoring from real data, multiple mitigation options, proactive risk management, and advantages such as automated prioritization and rapid analysis.

Focused Risk Intelligence for All Your Software Risks

Spektion can find risks from all the software applications in your environment, including third-party and open-source software, internal applications, and shadow IT.

Spotting exploit pathways before a CVE is published, Spektion can see risk indicators such as:

AI-generated code retrieving credentials with broader access rights than necessary .
A trusted application accessing sensitive memory regions unexpectedly.
Software establishing insecure network connections.
Applications requesting elevated privileges beyond their baseline behavior.
Processes exhibiting characteristics consistent with malware behaviors.
Software activity alert showing new critical risk detected: unquoted service path detection in AutoSnapper v1.0.28, just now.

Combining behavioral signals with known data, runtime evidence is how teams make decisions based on what’s actually risky in your environment - not just what’s theoretically vulnerable.

FAQs

What is runtime evidence?

Runtime evidence is what Spektion's sensor observes about how applications behave while running. It identifies real-world software risk regardless of whether a CVE exists.

Learn more here: What Is Runtime Evidence in Vulnerability Management?

Why does vulnerability management need runtime evidence?

Because runtime is where actual exploitation occurs. Spektion shows how software operates in your environment, providing a clearer and more accurate risk picture than theoretical vulnerabilities.

Traditional tools rely on CVEs and static scans. Spektion monitors software in real time, flagging risky behavior, misconfigurations, or exploit paths that may not be documented in a CVE database.

Spektion can detect risks that CVE-based tools like vulnerability scanners can’t, including:

Exploitable software behavior with no associated CVEs.
Shadow IT and AI-written applications.
Supply chain and third-party software vulnerabilities.
Misuse of privileges or insecure runtime configurations.

Does Spektion replace my endpoint vulnerability management tool?

Spektion can replace an existing endpoint VM solution across every operating system, or sit alongside one to deliver the runtime evidence on exploitability that a CTEM program needs to work.

It detects CVEs and extends past them to behavioral risks, logic flaws, and configuration issues that CVEs don't capture.

This broader perspective helps you prioritize actual risk in your environment. It offers diverse mitigation strategies beyond just patching, including behavioral controls, access restrictions, and runtime protections.

What is Spektion?

Spektion is a more modern endpoint vulnerability management solution that goes beyond identifying CVEs.

Spektion uses a lightweight, passive sensor to:

  • Monitor all running software.
  • Establish a behavioral baseline.
  • Flag insecure patterns in memory, privilege usage, or network access.
  • Provide enriched CVE context where applicable.
  • Enable proactive vulnerability management.
How is Spektion different from RASP, EDR, or SAST/DAST/SCA tools?
  • Spektion vs RASP: Spektion captures vulnerability risk across all software, not just web apps. RASP detects potential attack activity against web apps that you host.
  • Spektion vs EDR: EDR provides real-time visibility into attack activity. Spektion complements EDR with real-time visibility into pre-attack exploitability of what is running on your systems.
  • Spektion vs SAST/DAST/SCA: SAST/DAST/SCA are application security tools designed to introduce security into your SDLC for software you develop. Spektion captures vulnerability risk across all software running on your systems, whether you developed it, purchased it, or inherited it, by monitoring real-world runtime behavior and conditions.
What specific problems does Spektion solve?
  • CVE overload: Spektion prioritizes real risk, not just severity scores.
  • Limited staff: Spektion enables small teams to manage more risk with behavioral insights and compensating controls that scale.
  • Blind spots: Spektion uncovers vulnerabilities in niche or shadow software.
  • Ineffective patching: Spektion prioritizes remediation efforts where they'll have real impact and addresses the root causes behind multiple CVEs by enabling proactive risk mitigation before vulnerabilities are formally published.
How is Spektion different from AppSec?

Spektion focuses on the behavior of software running in production to identify risk regardless of CVE coverage.

On the other hand, application security focuses on code, configuration, and known issues before or during deployment to prevent vulnerabilities from reaching production.

Spektion can assess risks in software you don't own, including third-party applications and supply chain software, while traditional AppSec tools are limited to code you control.