Escape Legacy Data Protection: Minimize CVE Risk Before It’s Too Late

As cyberthreats evolve and grow in prominence, one of the most overlooked threats lies in your data protection infrastructure. If you’re still using legacy backup software like Veeam, you could be leaving the door wide open to attackers. These outdated systems are far more likely to harbor unpatched vulnerabilities, known as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures).

This isn’t just a theoretical risk. Legacy backup environments are now a frequent target for ransomware groups and malicious actors looking for a way in. And as recent attacks show, the time between a CVE’s disclosure and its exploitation is shrinking fast.

Legacy Backup Systems: A CVE Minefield

The longer you operate legacy data protection systems, the greater your exposure to security vulnerabilities. These platforms typically consist of multiple moving parts — management servers, agents, scripts, plug-ins, and integration modules — each of which introduces new surface area for attackers to exploit. And with each component managed and patched separately, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay ahead of threats.

A recent example from one leading backup vendor, whose backup software was targeted by a ransomware group exploiting CVE-2023-27532. This vulnerability allowed unauthenticated users to extract sensitive credentials, enabling lateral movement within the compromised environment.

Just this month, another legacy backup provider disclosed a critical flaw in its Command Center (CVE-2025-1422), which could allow attackers to execute code remotely without needing any login credentials. Exploits like this offer attackers a direct path into backup systems, turning your last line of defense into a liability.

And it’s not just legacy backup vendors. According to The Hacker News, 159 CVEs were actively exploited in Q1 2025 alone, a dramatic reminder that vulnerabilities across your infrastructure are being weaponized faster than ever.

Source: The Hacker News

“Our Backup Server Isn’t Exposed!” Don’t Be So Sure

A common assumption is that backup infrastructure is safe because it’s not internet-facing. But today’s attackers don’t need to start with your backup system. They can gain entry through phishing, malware on endpoints, or any internet-facing vulnerability, and then move laterally.

Credential theft is one of the most common tactics used in these attacks. Once inside, attackers look for high-value systems, and backup environments are prime targets. Why? Because they often store administrative credentials, connect to other systems, and control access to data needed for recovery.

If attackers gain access to your backup infrastructure, they can not only steal data but also disable your ability to recover from a ransomware attack. It’s a tactic that has become disturbingly common.

The Race Between CVEs and Patches Is Unwinnable With Legacy Tools

Even when vendors issue patches for vulnerabilities, legacy systems often delay or complicate the process. Why? Because patching requires:

• Downtime for production workloads
  

• Manual intervention across servers or agents
  

• Change management approvals
  

• Risk of compatibility issues

As a result, many organizations run for weeks or even months without applying critical patches. That’s more than enough time for an attacker to take advantage of a disclosed vulnerability.

And the window of opportunity for attackers is only getting wider. Sophisticated threat groups are exploiting CVEs mere days after disclosure, sometimes before defenders even have a patch available. Read more about why auto-patching matters in this blog.

Escaping Legacy: The SaaS Advantage

So how do you reduce this growing risk? By escaping legacy data protection altogether and shifting to a modern, SaaS-based data security platform like Druva.

With Druva, there’s no infrastructure to manage: no backup servers, no manual patches, no silos of software agents scattered across your environment. Instead, Druva’s cloud-native platform is delivered as a service, with the following security advantages:

• Automatic updates: Security patches and enhancements are applied by Druva’s team without customer intervention, reducing the patch gap that legacy software leaves wide open. Explore the simplicity of product upgrades via Druva’s SaaS model in this blog.
  

• Cloud-native isolation: Data is stored in a logically air-gapped, immutable format, out of reach of attackers who gain access to your local environment.
  

• Built-in threat detection: Druva includes ransomware anomaly detection and proactive alerts to help identify attacks early. Anomaly detection and accelerated recovery are a breeze with Druva; read this blog to learn more.
  

• Reduced complexity: Eliminating the burden of managing hardware, software, and patch cycles minimizes configuration errors and overlooked vulnerabilities. Compare the complexity of legacy setup vs. SaaS in this blog.

This shift to SaaS not only simplifies operations, it also significantly reduces the risk posed by CVEs and other infrastructure-based vulnerabilities.

Conclusion: Protect Your Backups, Protect Your Business

As the cybersecurity landscape becomes more hostile, and CVE exploitation becomes faster and more frequent, organizations can no longer afford to rely on legacy data protection systems. The risks are real. Backup infrastructure is not only a target, it’s a potential launchpad for attackers once they get inside.

Escaping legacy backup software means escaping outdated architecture, manual patching, and long exposure windows to known threats. With a SaaS platform like Druva, you gain always-updated protection, secure isolation, and the confidence that your last line of defense won’t become your weakest link.

The threat is evolving. Your data protection strategy should too. Don’t wait for a breach to make the move. Escape legacy, minimize risk, and secure the future of your data.

Next Steps

• Evaluate your cybersecurity maturity with Druva’s custom assessment today. 
• Watch a webinar on how 5 customers overhauled their data security.