CVEs

CVEs, or Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, are publicly known cybersecurity vulnerabilities and exposures given a unique identifier to standardize references across products, advisories, and tools. The system aims to simplify sharing of vulnerability information and enable consistent risk assessment, remediation, and asset management.

The CVE List is maintained by the MITRE Corporation in partnership with a network of CVE Numbering Authorities (CNAs). Researchers, vendors, CERTs, and other trusted entities can request CVE IDs for vulnerabilities they encounter. When a vulnerability is disclosed, a CVE entry is created with a brief description, references to advisories or patches, and metadata such as affected products and impact notes. Entries are intended to be vendor-neutral and focus on the vulnerability itself rather than a single fix.

CVEs are commonly used together with CVSS, the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, to convey the severity of a vulnerability. While CVE IDs provide identification, CVSS scores offer a standardized severity assessment that helps prioritize remediation efforts. Security advisories, vulnerability management tools, and incident response processes frequently rely on CVE identifiers to aggregate information and track fixes.

Limitations and scope considerations include the fact that CVEs cover publicly disclosed vulnerabilities, and new ones can be added or updated as information becomes available. Not all vulnerabilities receive a CVE, and there can be delays between disclosure and CVE assignment. CVEs do not themselves categorize or rate risk beyond identification; appropriate assessment often requires combining CVE data with context such as CVSS scores, affected assets, and exploit details.

Notable examples include CVE-2021-44228 (Log4Shell) and other widely publicized flaws that illustrate how CVEs enable coordinated response and transparency in vulnerability management.