FAQ

CVEs play a central role in vulnerability management. They provide a common language for all cybersecurity stakeholders to track and document flaws, enabling prioritization of patches, automation of analysis, and structured threat monitoring. Without CVEs, each vendor or researcher might describe a flaw differently, making coordination difficult.

They are also used by vulnerability scanners, SIEMs, SOCs, and CISOs to establish incident response policies. Their global adoption ensures that flaws are identifiable and that defenses can be activated more quickly and in a coordinated manner.

No, the existence of a CVE does not guarantee that a fix is available. A CVE may be published before a vendor has developed a fix, or even in cases where no fix is planned (e.g., for obsolete or unsupported software). In such situations, users must implement workarounds or disable certain vulnerable features.

It is therefore essential not to rely solely on CVEs, but also to check vendor advisories and databases like the NVD or the KEV list, which may indicate whether a patch exists and when it is expected. Good risk management takes into account both the severity of the flaw and the availability of solutions.

No, CVEs do not only apply to software. They can also cover vulnerabilities in hardware, firmware, IoT components, operating systems, or even insecure default configurations. For example, flaws in routers, processors, or industrial equipment can also receive CVE identifiers.

This broad coverage allows for consideration of the various attack vectors in a modern information system. The key is that the vulnerability must be documented, confirmed, and publicly reported to be included in the CVE program. This enables security teams to assess risks across the entire infrastructure.

A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) is a unique identifier assigned to a known vulnerability in an information system, software, or hardware. It allows a flaw to be named and tracked precisely, even when addressed by different vendors, tools, or databases. Each CVE follows the format CVE-year-number, such as CVE-2023-12345.

The purpose of CVEs is to standardize communication about security flaws: instead of using inconsistent descriptions, all stakeholders can refer to the same identifier. This makes coordination easier between researchers, software vendors, security teams, and solution providers.

A zero-day vulnerability is a security flaw that is not yet known to the public or the software vendor. It is called 'zero-day' because the developers have had zero days to fix it at the time of discovery or exploitation. In other words, no protection or patch exists when the attack occurs.

These vulnerabilities can affect any component: operating systems, software, hardware, firmware, or web services. When identified by malicious actors before defenders, they pose a critical risk as they can be exploited silently and without immediate defense.

Zero-day vulnerabilities are especially dangerous because they are unknown and unpredictable. Since no patch is available yet, vulnerable systems are exposed with no immediate solution. Traditional protections like antivirus or IDS/IPS may not detect the exploitation of a zero-day.

Due to their strategic value, zero-days are often used in targeted and stealthy attacks by organized cybercriminals or state-sponsored actors. They enable attackers to infiltrate systems, remain undetected, and exfiltrate or manipulate sensitive data.

Exploiting a zero-day involves creating a specific exploit, which is code or a method that takes advantage of the flaw before it’s patched. Attackers can deliver it via a malicious document, a compromised website, malware, or a phishing email.

Once triggered, the exploit may take control of the system, install a trojan, open a backdoor, or steal data. What makes zero-day exploits especially dangerous is that they bypass conventional detection tools, leveraging unknown weaknesses.

A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) is a security flaw that has been publicly identified, documented, and published in an official database. It is known and, in most cases, a patch is available or in progress. A zero-day, on the other hand, is a flaw that has not yet been disclosed, and therefore is not listed as a CVE at the time of discovery.

In short, every zero-day can become a CVE, but not all CVEs are zero-days. The main risk with zero-days is that they are exploitable before any public awareness, whereas CVEs are typically already under analysis or remediation.