9 Common Salesforce Security Gaps Found During Audits in 2026

Many companies discover Salesforce security gaps when something goes wrong: compliance flags during regulatory reviews, unexpected data flows between systems, or worse - a security breach that forces the entire organization into crisis mode.

That's why a proactive Salesforce security audit is critical. Regular audits highlight permission creep, dormant accounts, forgotten external apps, and misconfigurations before they evolve into serious security incidents.

The urgency is real.

In late 2025, over 200 Salesforce customer instances were compromised through abused OAuth tokens connected to third-party integrations. This incident serves as a stark reminder of how external connections can expose sensitive data when oversight lapses.

Understanding where your Salesforce org is most vulnerable allows your admins and security teams to shift from reactive firefighting to proactive, managed risk oversight -supported by Salesforce's native security tools and disciplined governance practice.

In this guide, we'll examine:

• The 9 most common Salesforce security gaps found during professional audits

• Why these vulnerabilities remain undetected for so long

• Proactive strategies to maintain audit-ready security posture

• How to transform your Salesforce security from reactive to predictive

Why Salesforce Security Gaps Remain Invisible for So Long

Salesforce earns its reputation as a secure platform. Yet, a Salesforce security audit often reveals a different story at the organizational level.

Why? Because real-world Salesforce environments evolve under constant pressure. Features accumulate rapidly, users customize aggressively, integrations multiply without documentation. Each change leaves behind configuration residue that slowly reshapes your data security posture.

The Core Problem: Platform Security ≠ Org Security

At the heart of the problem sits a dangerous assumption: platform secure equals org secure.

Salesforce indeed provides robust infrastructure protection. But where do Salesforce security vulnerabilities actually emerge?

• User confidence overlooks custom configurations. Businesses often assume Salesforce's native security covers all risks, but underestimate how their own setup choices dramatically expand the threat surface.

• Internal configurations are the primary risk source. Most Salesforce security risks emerge within your org—driven by the customizations, workflows, and integrations you've implemented.

• Complexity creates blind spots over time. Custom permission sets proliferate, sharing rules drift from their original intent, and legacy users retain access long after their roles change.

• Untracked OAuth and third-party access. Integrations gain broad permissions without continuous oversight, expanding exposure outside standard control mechanisms.

• Attackers favor indirect entry points. Third-party connections offer routes around core defenses, introducing security threats that default controls rarely detect.

The 9 Common Salesforce Security Gaps Found During Audits

Professional Salesforce security audits never fail because of one dramatic flaw. Instead, reviews expose patterns of small, familiar weaknesses that advance unnoticed over time.

1. Permission Creep: Access That Grows Without Consent

This remains the most consistent finding in any Salesforce security assessment. Users accumulate privileges as roles change and projects shift. Temporary access becomes permanent.

• Profiles accumulate exceptions that no one fully documents.

• Permission sets stack without expiration dates or clear ownership.

• Sharing rules create unintended visibility across roles and teams.

  
  

Impact: This dramatically increases the blast radius of compromised accounts, even when login controls are robust.

2. Connected Apps & OAuth Risks: The Quietest Entry Points

In modern Salesforce environments, third-party integrations are ubiquitous. Yet oversight rarely keeps pace. Security teams often assume that AppExchange certification ensures safety, overlooking the fact that every connected app introduces its own trust model.

Critical distinction: Unlike UI-based access, OAuth bypasses many visible controls. Once granted, it operates silently in the background.

3. Logging Gaps & Invisible Activity: When Proof Doesn't Exist

Many organizations still rely on default logging configurations. The absence of robust Salesforce security monitoring triggers a specific form of compliance anxiety: the inability to prove control after an incident.

• No automated alerts for risky actions or privilege escalation.

• Event data retained for insufficient time windows.

• Compliance teams chasing logs that never existed.

  
  

4. Misconfigured Sharing Rules: Data Seen by the Wrong Eyes

Sharing models evolve as businesses grow, but security controls don't receive equivalent attention. Typical exposure patterns include Public access settings left open far longer than planned and Experience Cloud sites inadvertently exposing internal records.

5. Login Control Weaknesses: MFA Gaps Still Persist

Despite clear Salesforce guidance, audits still frequently uncover organizations with incomplete Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) coverage.

• MFA exclusions granted without systematic review processes.

• Legacy users able to bypass modern authentication controls.

• Inconsistent enforcement across different apps and entry points.

  
  

6. Delayed Security Updates: Known Risks Left Open

Salesforce releases security improvements regularly. Yet many organizations postpone adoption, viewing updates as operational disruptions rather than critical protections. Delayed updates appear as preventable exposures in audit reports.

7. Data Management Blind Spots: Beyond Access Control

Audits consistently reveal weaknesses that extend beyond user permissions. Critical data protection gaps include sensitive fields left unencrypted (SSN, financial data) and Organization-Wide Defaults (OWD) configured too loosely.

8. User Awareness Deficiencies: The Human Risk Factor

Even the strongest technical controls fail when users don't understand their security responsibilities. Common incidents include users revealing login credentials via phishing or accidental data exposure through misconfigured reports.

9. Insufficient Audit Trail Retention: Evidence That Disappears

Many organizations underestimate how long they need to retain activity data. Default Salesforce retention limits often fall short of regulatory expectations. Without comprehensive traceability, even minor incidents escalate into major compliance concerns.

Building a Proactive Salesforce Security Strategy

A durable approach treats audit readiness as an operating state - not a seasonal scramble.

1. Perform Recurring Security Health Checks: Conduct comprehensive health checks quarterly at a minimum to document findings and track metrics.

2. Automate Permission Reviews: Implement automated analysis to highlight permission expansion and enforce time-bound access.

3. Inventory Third-Party Apps: Document all connected apps with business owners and purposes; review OAuth tokens quarterly.

4. Invest in Security Monitoring: Enable Event Monitoring and Salesforce Shield to provide the activity trails auditors expect.

5. Define Ownership: Assign specific responsibility for access reviews and data exposure decisions to build a security-first culture.

6. Enforce Strong Authentication: Mandate MFA for all users without exception and monitor login patterns for anomalies.

7. Apply Updates Promptly: Review security release notes immediately and test patches in a sandbox within one week.

Transform Your Salesforce Security from Reactive to Predictive

Salesforce security audits don't fail simply because organizations ignored security. They fail when configuration drift creates invisible vulnerabilities and misplaced confidence replaces verifiable evidence.

Ready to Strengthen Your Salesforce Security Posture? At Implementology.io, we specialize in comprehensive Salesforce security assessments and remediation strategies. With 20+ successful implementations and deep expertise in security best practices, we help you uncover real exposure and maintain audit readiness.

Contact Implementology today to schedule your Salesforce security assessment.