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What is a CVE?

Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) are designed to identify, define, and document known cybersecurity vulnerabilities in a catalog for simple reference. These cataloged vulnerabilities, called records, maintain a history of vulnerabilities that allows for consistent communication of vulnerability descriptions and details. This consistency allows cyber professionals to coordinate efforts to combat these issues more effectively, leading to faster resolution of exposures and weak points in software. Faster resolution of issues helps keep software secure and leads to an overall stronger security presence for businesses.

The CVE program was started by The MITRE Corporation's David E. Mann and Steven M. Christey, who strived to create a centralized working group to compile known vulnerabilities. In September 1999, the initial 19-member editorial board was formed, and the initial CVE list of 321 records was released to the public. Since then, adoption has rapidly increased, catalyzed by exposure from major operating systems and trade publication citations. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, 8,697 CVE records were published.

How Does the CVE System Work?

CVE identifiers, or names, help to differentiate different CV reports. Each CVE is given a unique identifier to help cybersecurity professionals better collaborate to find resolutions to vulnerabilities. The identifiers are assigned by a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA) once a submission is accepted for investigation. The identifier is compiled in a standardized format, being "CVE-Year-XXXX" with the X's being arbitrary digits. To avoid boiling over at 10,000, additional digits, up to 6 total digits, can be added to arbitrary numbers once they have exhausted what is available.

The CVE Board and CNAs are tasked with investigating and validating reported issues to ensure that only true vulnerabilities and exposures are published. Despite getting a CVE identifier assigned, all submissions are subject to investigation and validation before being published to the public.

Understanding CVE and the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS)

Each CVE is assigned a Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score to rate the severity of the vulnerability. The score is on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the most severe. That said, CVSS scores are not published alongside the CVE listing but must be tracked down using the National Vulnerability Database (NVD).

Benefits of Using CVE

Keeping up with the most recent CVE releases, as well as submitting CVEs when they arise, is a key step to ensuring organizational security. This empowers teams to identify and remedy vulnerabilities to ensure that software remains as secure as possible.

CVEs also foster collaboration within the cybersecurity community. When vulnerabilities are submitted, a group response triggers to identify them and develop and release a fix in a timely manner. Collaboration among professionals expedites this process by quickly finding the best fix.

Limitations and Challenges of CVE

Several misconceptions about CVEs mislead professionals. For example, many believe a CVE is always a serious problem, but they are often reported for minor vulnerabilities as a matter of practice. Another myth is that the CVSS score or severity rating indicates how it impacts all installations. The truth is that these scores must assume the worst-case scenario, and they may not apply to all potential installations being used. One final misconception is that a CVE identifier creates a negative connotation around a software vendor or maintainer. The truth is that CVEs show that a software developer takes security seriously and wants to inform users of weak points to keep their networks and applications safe.

CVEs also often have limited information, as they are brief and offer only basic references by design. This, paired with the fact that CVE is intentionally an incomplete database, limits its true power. When CVE IDs are created, they are an extremely valuable tool, but when they are not, vulnerability management can be more difficult to stay ahead of.

In Conclusion

While not a "catch-all-fix-all," CVEs are a valuable tool for cybersecurity professionals. They foster collaboration within the community to help maintain strong security across key software. They also provide users with insight into what vulnerabilities exist and monitor fixes to those issues to patch appropriately.