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OWASP A06: Vulnerable and outdated components

Is your website built on software with known holes?

Background

Most websites are built from many bits — CMS, plugins, libraries. If anything's out of date, the website inherits the holes.

Questions to ask yourself

  • When was our website last updated?
  • Who's named as responsible?
  • Do we know which third-party libraries the site uses?
  • Are old themes or plugins still installed but unused?

What you can do today

Three actions

Outdated components are the most common breach cause for SME sites.

  • 01For WordPress: use a managed WP host (WP Engine, Kinsta, SiteGround) that handles patching.
  • 02Ask your developer for an SBOM: which libraries and what version.
  • 03Set a monthly calendar reminder: review and apply CMS / plugin / library updates.