How Reachability Analysis Transforms Vulnerability Management
Cut through vulnerability noise with reachability analysis that prioritizes exploitable risks, reduces false positives, and improves security decision-making.
Mike Hatherall
Anyone who’s run a vulnerability scanner knows how daunting it is when a list of hundreds, maybe thousands, of CVEs comes flooding in. Most aren’t actually exploitable. Many aren’t even relevant. And yet, each one has to be triaged, logged, and explained to someone. That noise eats away at your team’s time and confidence.
Traditional vulnerability management tools don’t help much. They’re great at detection, but poor at prioritisation. So you end up in the same cycle: overwhelmed teams, delayed fixes, and a backlog that only grows.
This is where Finite State’s reachability analysis changes the game.
What Is Reachability Analysis?
Reachability analysis helps you answer the question: Can this vulnerability actually be reached from a real attack path in the product? In other words, it doesn’t just flag issues; it puts them in context.
At Finite State, we combine reachability analysis with exploit prediction scoring (EPSS) and curated threat intelligence to create a clearer risk picture. Instead of asking "Is this component vulnerable?", we help you answer "Is this vulnerability exploitable in our product, right now?"
Why It Matters
Security teams don’t have infinite time. Neither do engineers. And when you’re under pressure from regulations, customers, and internal stakeholders, prioritising what matters most isn’t just helpful, it’s essential.
Reachability analysis allows you to:
- Focus remediation efforts on vulnerabilities that are actually exploitable
- Eliminate up to 95% of the noise from false positives and low-priority findings
- Provide concrete justification for what’s being fixed and what isn’t
- Communicate risk with precision to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
The Impact in Practice
We had a customer come to us with over 1,000 vulnerabilities flagged in their firmware. After applying our reachability analysis, only 73 of those were actually reachable in their specific use case.
That context changed everything. Their triage cycle went from reactive panic to structured decision-making. Compliance teams could show exactly why certain vulnerabilities weren’t addressed and back it up with evidence. Engineering focused on the real issues without getting buried in noise.
Why Reachability Is a Game-Changer for Compliance Too
It’s not just about risk, it’s about proving that you’ve made informed, defensible decisions. Under emerging regulations like the EU Cyber Resilience Act, being able to explain why something wasn’t fixed is just as important as fixing what was.
Reachability, combined with VEX and policy enforcement, gives you:
- A defensible record of prioritisation
- Transparent ownership and decision logs
- The ability to show auditors a clear chain of action and rationale
Don’t Just Scan—Decide
Scanning without prioritisation creates noise. Prioritisation without context creates friction. Reachability analysis bridges that gap.
With Finite State, you get actionable insight, not just alerts, in a single platform where vulnerability data is enriched, contextualised, and made ready for action.
If you're ready to stop chasing every CVE and start fixing what really matters, reachability analysis is the place to start.
Want to see how reachability can reduce your vulnerability noise?
Book a demo with Finite State and learn how we help teams focus on what’s actually exploitable.
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Mike Hatherall
Mike Hatherall is Lead Solutions Architect for EMEA at Finite State and a seasoned cybersecurity and network engineering professional. He brings deep expertise in asset management, vulnerability response, and OT security, with hands-on experience in platforms like Forescout, Armis, and ServiceNow. Mike previously ran his own MSP for 12 years, successfully growing and selling the business.
