The CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) system is a widely used framework for cataloging known vulnerabilities. It provides a standardized way to track risks, which helps organizations, security teams, and software vendors address vulnerabilities more efficiently and effectively.
CVE Defined
CVE is a system that gives unique identifiers to publicly known security vulnerabilities. Each CVE entry contains detailed information about the vulnerability. Apart from details on the severity and affected software, it provides links to additional resources.
The system is maintained by MITRE and its partner organizations. They jointly identify and catalog disclosed vulnerabilities, allowing anyone in the cybersecurity community to access the details in one central place.
CVE provides a standard format for referencing vulnerabilities, which makes it easier for security professionals to track, discuss, and respond to specific threats.
A CVE ID has the following format: “CVE-YYYY-NNNNN.” The first part is the year the vulnerability was discovered, and the second part is its unique identifier.
How Does CVE Work?
When a vulnerability is discovered, the CVE system assigns it a unique identifier. The vulnerability is then added to the CVE database, where it becomes publicly accessible.
The record typically includes:
- A description of the vulnerability
- The affected systems or software
- A severity rating based on the possible impact
- Links to patches, workarounds, or advisories related to the vulnerability
Security teams and researchers use CVE IDs to search for information on specific vulnerabilities in their environments. That streamlines the processes of managing threats, performing risk assessments, and patching systems.
CVE vs. Other Vulnerability Systems
CVE may be the primary system for identifying vulnerabilities, but it’s not the only one. NVD (National Vulnerability Database) and CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) are examples of similar systems that complement CVE.
- CVE vs. NVD: NVD builds upon CVE but offers more detailed information. For example, it provides links that lead to available security patches.
- CVE vs. CVSS: CVSS is a scoring system focused primarily on vulnerability severity. It is often linked to CVE records and helps prioritize vulnerabilities based on the damage they could cause.
Examples of CVE in Use
Suppose you find a vulnerability in an Apache web server. Since CVE catalogs it with a description of how attackers could exploit it, you can use the system to inform your remediation/mitigation policy.
Another example is discovering a Windows OS vulnerability that allows privilege escalation. The CVE entry specifies the affected OS versions and the severity. This helps you quickly decide whether your organization is at risk and if a patch is available.
In both cases, CVE enables you to track vulnerabilities effectively. That, in turn, makes it possible to mitigate risks before threat actors exploit them.
Managing Vulnerabilities through CVE
CVE plays a vital role in cybersecurity by providing a standardized way to reference vulnerabilities. It allows you to manage vulnerabilities, apply fixes, and safeguard your systems much more easily and quickly.