What is a CVE?

CVE is a short form for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures. It is a standard approach to the description and identification of software or hardware security vulnerabilities. It provides a standard language whereby people can share information about weaknesses and communicate with each other. When a CVE is found, it is akin to finding a crack in a lock and informing its owner about the need to fix it. This is why all teams developing software must be aware of CVEs and patches their organizations push to protect against several cyber threats. CVEs are primarily set to accomplish three things:

• Identification: CVEs have a standardized method of identifying specific security vulnerabilities using a unique identifier, as well as detailed information regarding the vulnerability, including the severity level of the vulnerability, which versions of software are affected, and what the attack might entail.
• Collaboration: They facilitate communications between software companies and the security community around a common identifier, allowing sharing of vulnerability information, discussion of mitigations, and coordination of efforts for addressing security issues.
• Prioritization: This factor sorts these vulnerabilities in terms of their potential impact and severity. In consideration of the availability of patches and possible mitigation, this factor makes sure that the organizations clearly prioritize the security measures and make effective use of resources.

What is a CVE ID?

A CVE ID looks like a serial number and follows the format "CVE-YYYY-#####". It is a unique identifier for each CVE entry.

A CVE record contains the following:

• CVE ID: The unique identifier for the CVE entry.
• Description: A description of the vulnerability or security issue.
• References: Any relevant sources or links providing additional information about the vulnerability.
• Assigning CNA: The entity responsible for assigning the CVE ID.
• Date Record Created: The date when the CVE record was created.

Some older elements that are not relevant for new entries are also part of CVE records: these include phase, votes, comments, and proposed items.

How does the CVS system works

CVE standardizes vulnerabilities in software and hardware identification and naming. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security manages and leads a program to do this, which is led by a community and managed by the MITRE Corporation. A CVE Numbering Authority, or CVA, can be granted to organizations, vendors, or government agencies who give unique CVE ID numbers to vulnerabilities. The CNVs have a single, comprehensive database of CVE, using the guidelines and practices of the CVE Program.

In the case of the discovery of a vulnerability, a CVE identifier request is made to the CVE Program by parties who give detailed information of the vulnerability. If it is validated and accepted, a CVE identifier is given and the vulnerability is added to the CVE List, a central, publicly accessible database of known vulnerabilities. Any type of security vulnerability—from a programming error to a misconfiguration or a cryptographic weakness—can receive a CVE identifier.

A vulnerability shall become eligible for a CVE identifier if it is reproducible, impactful, specific, and scoped. It must be demonstrated using complete and reliable reproduction, have a possible effect on the system's security, be well-defined, and affect a specific software or hardware component. This requirement from the CVE system allows them to identify and track vulnerabilities effectively so that stakeholders can collaborate to successfully mitigate the risks posed by security vulnerabilities.

How to identify and manage CVEs?

Several tools are available to help them monitor CVEs and mitigate security vulnerabilities in their code in an effective manner, for instance, Static Application Security Testing, Software Composition Analysis, Dynamic Application Security Testing, patch management, security configuration management, container security, and threat intelligence platforms. However, in regard to CVE management, the importance of threat intelligence platforms cannot be denied. Defendis is a platform that can increase the ability of organizations to detect, prioritize, and remediate CVEs, thereby strengthening the overall security posture and minimizing the risks of cyber threats and data breaches. Defendis has a CVEs alerting tool that will inform you on the latest CVEs vulnerabilities based on your specific digital assets in real-time.

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CVEs Examples

Microsoft Exchange Escalation of Privileges CVE-2024-21410

Microsoft released a critical patch for a vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange. Exploiting it lets attackers access a domain user's NetNTLMv2 hash and use it to perform unauthorized actions on the Exchange server. If successful, attackers can gain privileges up to domain administrator level. To mitigate risks, Microsoft recommends enabling extended protection for all Exchange deployments. This feature, enabled by default in the latest CU patch 14, significantly reduces the chance of relay attacks. It's worth noting that Windows extended protection, an IIS feature, isn't Exchange-specific. Microsoft has advised this strategy since August 2022.

Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect PAN-OS  CVE-2024-3400

This vulnerability, with a perfect CVSS score of 10.0/10.0, has been in the spotlight for the last three weeks. The vulnerability came again in the limelight because of the disclosures from Siemens and the updated remediation measures from Palo Alto Networks. Siemens showed how the RUGGEDCOM APE 1808 industrial platform can expose the next-generation Palo Alto firewall that ships with a vulnerable RUGGEDCOM K4030 fiber optic unit to the Pan-OS vulnerability.

Cisco Unified Communications and Contact Center Solutions CVE-2024-20253

A vulnerability in multiple Cisco Unified Communications and Contact Center Solutions products could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to the improper processing of user-provided data that is being read into memory. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted message to a listening port of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of the web services user. With access to the underlying operating system, the attacker could also establish root access on the affected device.

Understanding CVEs is crucial for software development teams to stay ahead of potential cyber threats. These standardized identifiers help in identifying, prioritizing, and managing vulnerabilities effectively. 

Staying Secure with Defendis

Vulnerabilities pose tremendous risks at every turn. So, security in the digital world means one has to be vigilant at all times. This is where Defendis comes into play. Our Threat Intelligence Platform brings exactly the set of tools that would help an organization stay ahead of emerging threats that can jeopardize its security posture.

Discover the power of vulnerability intelligence with Defendis. Our solution offers critical vulnerability prioritization based on real-time insights.  Identify and monitor vulnerabilities before they turn into full-blown attacks. Patch with precision, prioritizing based on threat severity.