Continuous Essential Eight Posture & Application Control Defense
Defend your digital perimeter against targeted cyber threats. Continuously assess maturity across all eight ACSC strategies, enforce zero-trust application execution, and remediate weaponized vulnerabilities in under 48 hours.
Application Violations & Vulnerability Report
Audit unauthorized binaries, vulnerable software versions, CISA KEV zero-days, and ransomware weaponization across enrolled endpoints.
Full Violations Spreadsheet (CSV)
Complete spreadsheet for security auditors, CISO briefings, and spreadsheets. Includes Endpoint Hostname, OS Version, App Name, Installed Version, CVE IDs, CVSS v3.1, EPSS %, CISA KEV flags, Ransomware flags, Priority Score (0-10), EOL status, and Target Remediation Version.
Machine-Readable SIEM Dataset (JSON)
Standard structured JSON dataset ready for automated ingestion into Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, Elastic SIEM, or automated ConnectCare trouble ticketing workflows. Includes complete metadata schema and priority rankings.
ACSC 48-Hour Remediation Mandate
Under ACSC Essential Eight Maturity Level 2, critical vulnerabilities and CISA KEV exploited CVEs must be patched within 48 hours. The report flags which applications violate this window and provides exact vendor upgrade builds.
| Application & Endpoint | Vulnerability (CVE) | Severity | CVSS / EPSS | Threat Signals | Remediation Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wireshark v3.6.2 CORP-SEC-WIN11-01 • Windows 11 Pro 23H2 | CVE-2023-1992 ACSC ML2: Remediate critical exploited CVE within 48 hours | CRITICAL | 9.8 / 10 EPSS: 78.4% | KEV Ransomware | v4.2.3 Patch Available |
Git for Windows v2.39.1 CORP-DEV-WIN11-04 • Windows 11 Enterprise 22H2 | CVE-2022-41903 ACSC ML2: Remediate critical CVE within 48 hours | CRITICAL | 9.8 / 10 EPSS: 62.1% | KEV | v2.44.0 Patch Available |
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC v22.001.20117 FIN-OPERATIONS-W10-09 • Windows 10 Pro 22H2 | CVE-2023-26369 ACSC ML1: Patch application vulnerabilities with active exploits | CRITICAL | 9.3 / 10 EPSS: 84.2% | KEV Ransomware | v23.008.20470 Patch Available |
Google Chrome v118.0.5993.88 CORP-EXEC-LAPTOP-01 • Windows 11 Pro 23H2 | CVE-2023-5217 ACSC ML1: User application hardening & zero-day mitigation | CRITICAL | 8.8 / 10 EPSS: 91.5% | KEV Ransomware | v124.0.6367.60 Patch Available |
MobaXterm v21.4 OPS-TELECOM-SRV-02 • Windows Server 2022 | CVE-2022-29845 ACSC ML2: Application control unapproved remote tools | HIGH | 8.8 / 10 EPSS: 45.0% | v24.0 Patch Available | |
7-Zip v21.07 DEV-BACKEND-WIN10-12 • Windows 10 Enterprise 21H2 | CVE-2022-29072 ACSC ML2: Archive utility memory corruption mitigation | HIGH | 7.8 / 10 EPSS: 32.8% | v23.01 Patch Available | |
Node.js v16.14.0 DEV-NODE-STATION-05 • Windows 11 Pro 22H2 | CVE-2023-30589 ACSC ML3: Decommission unmaintained runtimes and libraries | HIGH | 7.5 / 10 EPSS: 28.3% | EOL | v20.12.2 LTS Patch Available |
Mozilla Firefox v115.2.0esr MARKETING-MAC-VDI-03 • Windows 10 Pro 22H2 | CVE-2023-4863 ACSC ML1: Webp heap buffer overflow remediation (< 48 hrs) | CRITICAL | 8.8 / 10 EPSS: 88.9% | KEV Ransomware | v115.3.1esr Patch Available |
Python v3.9.7 DATA-ANALYTICS-WIN11-08 • Windows 11 Pro 23H2 | CVE-2022-45061 ACSC ML2: Regular software patching and dependency vetting | HIGH | 7.5 / 10 EPSS: 36.7% | v3.12.3 Patch Available | |
Visual Studio Code v1.81.0 CORP-ADMIN-SRV-01 • Windows Server 2019 | CVE-2023-36742 ACSC ML3: Enforce developer extension allow-listing and signing | HIGH | 7.8 / 10 EPSS: 19.4% | v1.88.1 Patch Available |
The Eight Core Security Controls
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Essential Eight is a prioritized set of mitigation strategies designed to protect Microsoft Windows-based networks and cloud workloads.
Application Control
Prevent unauthorized applications, malicious scripts, and unapproved installers from executing on workstations and servers.
Patch Applications
Remediate security vulnerabilities in applications, browser plugins, and runtime dependencies with extreme urgency.
Configure Microsoft Office Macros
Block malicious macros delivered via phishing emails, external documents, or unvetted internet locations.
User Application Hardening
Configure web browsers, PDF readers, and office tools to block untrusted content and disable vulnerable features.
Restrict Administrative Privileges
Enforce principle of least privilege, preventing attackers from escalating privileges or moving laterally.
Patch Operating Systems
Keep operating systems on supported builds and deploy security patches rapidly to close kernel and network vectors.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Enforce phishing-resistant MFA across all remote access gateways, cloud services, and sensitive internal repositories.
Regular Backups
Maintain isolated, immutable, and encrypted backups to ensure rapid recovery in the event of a ransomware attack.
Understanding ACSC Maturity Levels
Each level builds systematically upon the previous baseline to counter increasingly capable adversary tiers.
Opportunistic Cyber Adversaries
Counter adversaries seeking easily exploitable targets using unvetted public proof-of-concept exploits, automated malware, and general phishing blasts.
- Standard AppLocker executable blocking
- Patching critical vulnerabilities within 1 month
- MFA for non-privileged remote logins
Intermediate Cyber Adversaries
Defend against adversaries with targeted tooling, social engineering, living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins), and active ransomware affiliates.
- 48-hour patching for KEV zero-days
- AppLocker rules on DLLs and script engines
- Mandatory hardware MFA across all admin roles
Advanced Persistent Threats (APT)
Resilience against state-sponsored or heavily resourced cyber adversaries tailoring custom zero-days, supply chain vectors, and evading detection.
- Hardware-enforced WDAC code integrity
- Immutable air-gapped backup infrastructure
- Comprehensive behavioral telemetry logging
Ready to review your live Essential Eight posture?
Navigate to the Essential Eight security workstation, inspect endpoint findings, generate executive reports, or drill down into application control telemetry.