When a new vulnerability is discovered, attackers move fast. Security teams, on the other hand, often face a frustratingly slow response process—especially when dealing with Java applications. Patching vulnerabilities in Java environments is rarely immediate; it’s a complex, manual process that can leave systems exposed for weeks, months, or even years.
Take the Log4Shell vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228) as a prime example. This zero-day flaw in Log4j, a widely used Java logging library, left millions of applications vulnerable to remote code execution (RCE)—allowing attackers to take complete control of affected systems. Organizations rushed to patch, but many found themselves unable to deploy fixes quickly enough due to dependency issues, legacy systems, and the sheer complexity of Java security. In fact, nearly 5 years on, reports suggest 12 percent of systems still have never been patched for Log4Shell.
This is where Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) should shine—but not all RASP solutions are created equal. Many organizations assume RASP tools work in the same way, but the reality is that traditional approaches come with performance trade-offs, false positives, and limited protection against emerging and unreported threats.
That’s why security teams in charge of protecting Java Applications need a new approach to runtime protection—one designed specifically for Java environments. Waratek takes RASP to the next level by integrating immutable runtime security guardrails, automated virtual patching, and JVM-native security to eliminate vulnerabilities in real-time without downtime or any false positives. Let’s explore these differences in a little more depth and understand how Waratek’s unique approach can improve how you respond to zero-days.
Traditional RASP Falls Short
Most RASP solutions work by injecting agents into an application’s runtime environment. These agents monitor execution flow, detect potential threats, and block suspicious activity. Compared to Web Application Firewalls (WAFs)—which only inspect external traffic—RASP offers better in-depth visibility into application behavior as well as creating secondary layers of defense in case attackers successfully bypass an application’s perimeter. They are also significantly cheaper than WAFs, which are untenable to put around hundreds of applications.
However, not all RASP tools provide true runtime protection. Many solutions on the market rely on generic behavioral monitoring. These tools observe API calls and database queries and block or alert on specific patterns of behavior that match known attack signatures. These common RASPs can effectively catch and neutralize certain attacks, but since they don’t actually integrate into the core of the application’s runtime execution, they can have a number of drawbacks:
- Performance Overhead – RASP tools can add system resource requirements due to their continuous monitoring and analysis.
- False Positives – Many solutions flag normal application behavior as attacks, creating unnecessary alerts that overwhelm security teams.
- Limited Java Protection – Traditional RASP tools often lack deep JVM integration, making them ineffective against sophisticated Java-specific exploits.
How Waratek Stands Out in the RASP Market
Waratek is the only RASP provider that enables security teams to define security policies as code. By operating directly within the Java virtual machine (JVM) , organizations can create highly specific security rules that enforce protection at runtime without modifying the original application code.
- Dynamic Policy Enforcement: Security teams can define policies to block SQL injections, remote code executions, and memory exploits dynamically.
- Patch Without Redeploying: Waratek allows organizations to virtually patch vulnerabilities in Java applications—without modifying source code or requiring downtime.
- Zero-Touch Protection: Unlike solutions that require manual tuning, Waratek rules adapt to application behavior automatically.
Automatic Patching of Java Vulnerabilities
One of the biggest challenges in enterprise security is the time-consuming nature of patching known vulnerabilities. This is usually due to code dependencies, testing constraints, and production impact concerns. The average time to patch a known vulnerability is eight and a half months, nearly a 50% increase from just five years ago.
Waratek eliminates this delay with automated, virtual patching. Instead of waiting for development teams to implement patches manually, Waratek applies security fixes at runtime—seamlessly patching critical Java vulnerabilities like Log4Shell and Struts2 RCE without requiring application downtime.
This is particularly critical for financial services, healthcare, IT teams and enterprises running legacy Java applications that can’t be easily updated.
Unmatched Precision with JVM-Level Security
Waratek takes an entirely new approach from other RASPs by integrating directly within the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This enables Waratek to analyze bytecode execution in real time, effectively detecting zero-day exploits as they occur.
Instead of reacting after an attack has been executed, our agent proactively blocks malicious operations before they can take effect. Security is enforced at the execution level rather than relying on heuristic guesswork, which eliminates false positives and ensures precise and reliable protection.
Minimal Performance Overhead
One of the biggest complaints about traditional RASP solutions is that they slow down applications due to high CPU and memory consumption.
Waratek, by contrast, is designed to operate with near-zero performance impact. Because it integrates natively with the JVM, it does not rely on expensive inline instrumentation or resource-heavy analysis. Instead, it executes security policies directly within the application’s execution flow, making it one of the most lightweight RASP solutions available.
Is Your Java Security Strategy Built for the Future?
Every second matters in cybersecurity. The longer a Java vulnerability remains unpatched, the greater the risk of exploitation. Even other RASP solutions are not comprehensive, and can require consistent monitoring as well as racking up serious operational overhead.
