CIS-12.1 Ensure Network Infrastructure is Up-to-Date

• T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application — Adversaries exploit vulnerabilities in Internet-facing services or network-device management interfaces to gain initial access. Keeping network infrastructure on supported, current software removes known exploitable vulnerabilities, directly reducing the adversary's ability to successfully exploit those exposed services. • T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services — Adversaries exploit vulnerabilities in remotely reachable services to execute code or move laterally. Updating network-device software removes known vulnerabilities from those services, directly preventing exploitation paths that depend on obsolete or vulnerable software. • T1601.002 Downgrade System Image — Adversaries downgrade network-device software to reintroduce vulnerable or weaker code. Enforced anti-rollback and approved-version controls prevent installation of older unauthorized images, directly blocking the downgrade behavior. • T1686.002 Network Device Firewall — Adversaries may exploit vulnerable network firewalls to gain the privileged access required to alter ACLs, zones, or firewall policy. Maintaining supported and patched firewall software removes known vulnerability-based access paths, directly reducing the adversary's ability to reach the configuration state required to modify the firewall.