What is CVE in cyber security?

05/01/2023

2 minute read

Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) is a database of publicly disclosed information security issues and it includes a series of numbers called CVE numbers which uniquely identifies vulnerabilities from the list.

By, Jack Wong

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CVE in cyber security, named Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, is a database of publicly disclosed information security issues. It includes a series of CVE numbers, uniquely identifying vulnerabilities from the list.

Security vulnerabilities must be examined in every product, hardware and software by the CVE website. When every company’s IT intelligence spots vulnerabilities, they submit them to the CVE database and announce them to the world. It may help users to be aware of the situation and develop a possible solution for the vulnerability.

CVE provides a solid, reliable way for different parties, such as vendors, enterprises, and academics to exchange information about cybersecurity vulnerabilities. In addition, organisations typically use CVE and CVSS to plan and prioritise their vulnerability management programs.

How does the CVE system work?

The CVE was founded and managed by MITRE Corporation with funding from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The CVE List is a set of records; each represents a specific vulnerability.

Every vulnerability created in the CVE database is assigned a unique serial number with the format CVE-YYYY-NNNN. CVE is a fixed prefix; YYYY represents the year it was published; NNNN is a sequential number (This can be increased to five or more digits when required).

The CVE List is managed by a large community of trusted entities and individuals that are qualified to identify and describe coding flaws or security misconfigurations that could be exploited by bad actors to compromise a system or data. The CVE number is short and includes the NVD, Cert/CC Vulnerability Notes Database and different lists maintained by other organisations. Across these different systems, CVE numbers give users a reliable way to recognise specific vulnerabilities and coordinate the development of security tools and solutions.

If you want to find more information about the CVE database, you can visit here.

What is the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS), and how can the score be calculated?

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is a published standard that uses the CVE List and other sources to produce a numerical score that rates the severity of security vulnerabilities in software.

Calculating Scores

Scores are calculated based on the impact of vulnerabilities. The CVSS Score ranges from 0-10, where 10 is classified as critical while 0 is classified as low. Apart from the CVSS score to determine the severity level, environmental and temporal factors also need to be considered to factor in the availability of mitigations and how widespread vulnerable systems are within an organisation.

Swiftcomm recommends that customers use CVE to search for any security vulnerabilities and thus put to rest any doubts they might have about their purchase to ensure the security of data transmissions.

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