Overview
CVE is a dictionary of common names for publicly known security vulnerabilities. It is maintained by the MITRE Corporation and funded by the US Department of Homeland Security. Each entry (e.g., CVE-2021-44228) provides a standardized way to identify and track a specific flaw across different tools and databases.
Structure of a CVE Entry
- ID: The unique identifier (CVE-YYYY-NNNNN).
- Description: A brief summary of the vulnerability and the affected software.
- References: Links to advisories, reports, and patches.
Importance
CVE provides a common language for security professionals, allowing them to communicate clearly about threats and ensure that their security tools are covering the same set of known issues.