What is Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)?

Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, or CVE for short, is a list of vulnerabilities in computer security that are public. In this article, we look at how IT specialists can better organize their efforts by using CVEs to identify, prioritize, and fix vulnerabilities to increase the security of computer systems.

What is a CVE?

CVE, or Common Vulnerability and Exposure, is a defined, distinct number linked to security flaws or vulnerabilities in hardware and software devices. Accurate tracking and management of security vulnerabilities across various platforms, vendors, and technologies is made easier by the CVE system, which gives users, vendors, and regulatory authorities the ability to quickly identify, classify, prioritize, and address possible cybersecurity threats.

Furthermore, through the establishment of a standardized methodology for the indexing and documentation of vulnerabilities, vendors, end users, and academic researchers can rely on CVEs as a reliable source of information. This promotes improved cybersecurity measures across a variety of goods and services by aiding in the identification and mitigation of software flaws across numerous platforms and operating systems.

What is a CVE in Cyber Security?

CVE in cybersecurity provides a method for publicly sharing information on cybersecurity vulnerabilities and exposures.

What is vulnerability?

A vulnerability is a shortcoming in a piece of hardware, software, or network infrastructure that can be used by an attacker to undermine the security of the system. A variety of factors can lead to vulnerabilities, including:

#1. Human Error

Vulnerabilities, including race situations, null pointer dereferences, and buffer overflows, can result from mistakes made by developers during the coding process. Attackers might be able to run arbitrary code, inflict a denial of service, or obtain private information thanks to these mistakes.

#2. Design flaws

Security flaws may arise from a system’s inadequate architecture or design. For instance, a system may be open to assault if it does not have the necessary authorization, authentication, or encryption methods in place.

#3. Problems with Configuration

Vulnerabilities like unprotected ports, inadequate encryption settings, or default passwords can be caused by misconfigured systems or services. These problems could give an attacker access without authorization or the capacity to intercept private information.

#4. Third-party components

Applications, systems, and plugins that employ third-party plugins or frameworks may contain vulnerabilities. An attacker may use these vulnerabilities to compromise the system as a whole.

#5. Software that is unpatched or unsupported

Identified vulnerabilities in outdated software may have already been patched in more recent versions. Systems can be vulnerable to assaults if you do not apply security patches on time.

#6. Zero-day Vulnerabilities

These are vulnerabilities that were not known before and are used by attackers before the developer or vendor learns about them and issues a patch.

Maintaining a good cybersecurity posture requires constantly identifying and mitigating risks. This entails ongoing vulnerability evaluation, scanning, and timely patch management to reduce the possibility of future bad actor exploitation.

What is exposure?

An exposure is the state in which a system, application, or network is accidentally visible to or accessible by possible attackers, raising the possibility of illegal access or security lapses. Exposures may result from a variety of causes, including incorrect settings, poor design, or human error. They reflect factors that increase a system’s susceptibility to assaults or unauthorized access, rather than necessarily including a system’s intrinsic weakness or vulnerability.

Furthermore, significant data breaches, such as unauthorized access to personally identifiable information (PII) or other sensitive data, can result from exposures. Severe security incidents can arise from both deliberate cyberattacks and unintentional exposures, underscoring the significance of proactive security measures and thorough risk management.

How does the CVE system work?

CVE entries are short. Technical details and information regarding hazards, effects, and solutions are not included. These specifics can be found in other databases, such as the CERT/CC Vulnerability Notes Database, the U.S. National Vulnerability Database (NVD), and other lists that are kept up-to-date by vendors and other groups.

Furthermore, CVE IDs provide users with a dependable method to identify specific vulnerabilities and manage the creation of security tools and remedies across these many systems. The CVE List is kept up-to-date by the MITRE Corporation; however, organizations and open-source community members frequently report security vulnerabilities that are accepted for inclusion.

What is the difference between Vulnerability and Exposure?

A threat actor can use vulnerabilities in computer software, firmware, hardware, and service components to obtain unauthorized access and launch a cyberattack.

Exposures include mistakes like misconfigurations, open ports, and weak credentials that are not part of the software, firmware, hardware, or service component itself but put it in danger of being exploited.

Why is CVE important? 

Cybercriminals are always searching for software flaws, and they develop malware and methods to take advantage of them very quickly. Widely used solutions from well-known software providers, like Microsoft, VMware, and Apache, to mention a few, contain vulnerabilities. 

Thus, monitoring CVEs is essential to effective vulnerability management and can assist companies in preventing damaging cyberattacks.

What is included in a CVE record?

As previously mentioned, a CVE record has multiple data components related to a specific vulnerability. To help you grasp the significance of each of these, we will go over each one in greater detail.

#1. CVE ID

A vulnerability’s unique identification is its CVE ID. “CVE-YYYY-NNNN” is the typical format for a CVE ID. The fixed prefix CVE, the year the ID was assigned (which need not match the year the CVE Record was published), and a random number with at least four digits, NNNN, make up this format. When identifying vulnerabilities in the same product that may seem very similar at first but are ultimately distinct, CVE IDs are particularly useful.

#2. Description

This is a brief description of the vulnerability, including its nature, its underlying cause, and the potential consequences. Users can better grasp the vulnerability’s nature and potential risks with the use of this information.

#3. Severity

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is used to determine how serious a vulnerability is. CVSS is currently available in version 3.1. The Base, Temporal, and Environmental CVSS Scores are the three distinct scores.

• The vulnerability’s intrinsic properties are the source of the Base Score, which remains constant over time.
• The Temporal Score is determined by looking at the vulnerability’s state at a specific moment in time, including if a patch is available or if it has been used in the wild.
• Envronmental Score is a personalized score that is determined by an organization’s IT environment. Businesses can use the Environmental Score calculator to determine their CVSS score.

Since the CVSS Base Score is the only one that is usually included in a CVE Record, it will be examined in more detail.

The CVSS Base Score is a number between 0 and 10, where 0 indicates no risk and 10 the most severe.

#4. References

This is a collection of references to vulnerability. For the CVE record to be published, at least one reference must be included. The References section is crucial for users as it contains the security alert released by the product provider. The workarounds and updates required to address or lessen the vulnerability are included in vendor advisories. To find out more about the issue, additional resources like security company proof of concepts and third-party warnings are also beneficial.

#5. Affected Versions

This contains the program or component versions that are vulnerable. Users can use this information to confirm if they are using a vulnerable version and should take the appropriate precautions.

Steps involved in the CVE assignment

The following six actions must be taken to provide a vulnerability in the CVE database with a worldwide public identity:

#1. Determine the weakness

Finding a weakness that an attacker could exploit in a system or application is the first step. Identifying vulnerabilities entails looking over source code, parts, and configurations.

#2. Report

It is the process of adding details about vulnerabilities to the CVE database. It entails locating, characterizing, and recording vulnerabilities in recently found hardware or software components.

By reporting vulnerabilities, all parties involved are made aware of them and have the opportunity to take appropriate action to reduce their impact.

#3. Request CVE ID

To request a CVE identifier, go to the website cve.mitre.org and click on “Request CVE IDs“. This will direct you to the form where you can fill out details regarding the vulnerability.

#4. Reserve

You must reserve the identification after entering the information.

It keeps the number reserved for your particular vulnerability and makes sure that other organizations can’t try to use it before you’ve had time to report or repair it.

#5. Submit

You can submit details about manufactured items, fixed product versions, exposure types, root causes, and at least one public reference on the vulnerability once you have reserved the identifier.

It will also make it possible for other firms to find and address security breaches.

#6. Publish Details

Details on the vulnerability should be made public as soon as the CVE ID is assigned so that other organizations and people are aware of it and can take appropriate action.

It entails disseminating details regarding the danger caused by taking advantage of this vulnerability as well as any accessible fixes or mitigations.

Note that it is crucial to monitor activity surrounding this vulnerability over time to track its development and resolve any new problems that may result from it.

What are examples of CVE? 

Here are a few examples of CVEs:

#1. CVE-2021-34527 (PrintNightmare): 

The Windows Print Spooler service has a remote code execution vulnerability that lets an attacker run any code with elevated privileges.

#2. SMBGhost’s CVE-2020-0796: 

The Microsoft Server Message Block (SMB) 3.1.1 protocol has a vulnerability that lets remote attackers run arbitrary code on susceptible systems.

#3. BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708): 

A Microsoft Windows Remote Desktop Services (RDS) remote code execution vulnerability lets an attacker run arbitrary code on susceptible devices without requiring user input.

#4. Sudo heap-based buffer overflow, or CVE-2021-3156: 

a flaw in Unix-like OS systems’ sudo command that enables local attackers to obtain root access.

#5. BIG-IP remote code execution, or CVE-2021-22986: 

An F5 Networks BIG-IP application delivery controller (ADC) device has a remote code execution vulnerability that lets an unauthorized attacker execute arbitrary code.

Does every vulnerability have a CVE? 

No, not every vulnerability has a CVE. The CVE search was not intended to locate collections of issues with similar characteristics, like operating systems, but rather to assist in identifying specific vulnerabilities.

Is CVE good or bad? 

CVEs are significant because they point to a specific vulnerability that malevolent actors might try to exploit. Using a range of security tools, cybersecurity experts detect and monitor CVEs to stop attackers from getting unauthorized access to their infrastructure and network.

What does a CVE look like? 

The CVE-ID is in the format “CVE-YYYY-NNNN,” where “NNNN” is a unique number and “YYYY” is the year.

What is the most common CVE? 

CVE-2022-22965: 

The most widely publicized CVE of 2022 (sometimes referred to as Spring4Shell) is a highly serious injection vulnerability in the Spring Framework that gives attackers remote access to a target system’s configuration.

How does a vulnerability become a CVE?

A vulnerability becomes a CVE when it is assigned a CVE ID, which is then requested by the reporter and set aside for the reported vulnerability. The record is added to the CVE list once the reported vulnerability has been verified by determining the minimal set of data pieces needed to create a CVE record.

Conclusion

CVE is a crucial component of cyber security, to sum up. It can assist security researchers, developers, and organizations in identifying and reducing possible application threats.

It is a useful tool for tracking system vulnerabilities and taking preventative measures to lessen the likelihood of an attack or breach. You can keep up with any new vulnerabilities that might exist in your applications by using CVE.

Related Articles: 

THREAT ACTOR: Definition, Types & Examples

WHAT IS A SECURITY KEY: Definition, Benefits & Why Need One

CYBERSECURITY TRAINING: Everything You Need To Know

References:

Redhat

Techopedia