Introduction
The recent developments in MITRE’s Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVE) program highlight the critical importance of cyber resilience and vulnerability management. This situation underscores the need for diversified funding and collaboration within the cybersecurity community to ensure the stability and effectiveness of vulnerability tracking systems.
Description
The recent developments surrounding MITRE’s Common Vulnerability and Exposures (CVE) program underscore the critical importance of cyber resilience and vulnerability management within the cybersecurity community. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in late March, the CVE program [4] [5] [6], funded by the US government [4], serves as a vital framework for naming [3], tracking [3], and prioritizing vulnerabilities [2] [3] [5]. However, the program faced potential closure due to a funding crisis [2], raising concerns about reliance on a single information source for vulnerabilities [2]. A leaked memo on April 15 revealed that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had not signed a contract extension with MITRE [4], prompting fears about the program’s future. In response, CISA quickly intervened to prevent the shutdown by granting an 11-month contract extension, clarifying that the issue was related to contract administration rather than funding. CISA remains committed to the program’s stability and is open to reevaluating its organizational strategy [5], highlighting vulnerabilities in the funding structure and sparking discussions about diversifying funding sources to avoid reliance on a single entity.
Visibility and context remain essential for effective security programs [3], particularly in uncertain environments [3]. Organizations must avoid single points of failure and focus on data aggregation [3], correlation [1] [3], and enrichment to maintain a reliable source of truth for security [3], IT [1] [3], and compliance professionals [3]. The CVE system provides a shared language that enables various security tools to work together [3], allowing teams to respond quickly and confidently to vulnerabilities [3]. In light of potential disruptions to the CVE ecosystem [3], enterprises should ensure that asset visibility [3], vulnerability context [3] [6], and response workflows remain operational [3]. A multi-source approach to data aggregation can help organizations maintain a comprehensive view of their risk landscape [3], ensuring that visibility and response capabilities are not compromised when one dataset is incomplete or unavailable [3].
In response to the growing need for independent vulnerability identification and management, the European cybersecurity agency ENISA has launched the European Vulnerability Database (EUVD) [1]. This initiative aims to enhance the analysis and correlation of vulnerabilities by consolidating data from various sources [1], including CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue [6], CSIRTs [1] [5], and suppliers [1]. The EUVD is particularly significant following recent concerns over the funding of MITRE’s US CVE database [1], which faced potential shutdown due to financial issues but ultimately received an 11-month extension [1]. The EUVD is expected to serve as a trusted source for vulnerability intelligence [6], providing a complementary resource to the CVE program and reducing reliance on a single vulnerability source. Experts believe that having both the EUVD and the CVE Program will enhance the handling of CVE requests [6], leading to faster public disclosures and improved cyber resilience [6].
To adapt to a changing landscape [3], businesses should utilize platforms that integrate emerging sources of vulnerability intelligence and enrich asset data with broader context [3]. This adaptability is crucial for managing disruptions effectively [3]. The ability to understand how vulnerabilities apply to specific environments and to act accordingly is paramount [3], emphasizing the importance of not relying solely on a single database or system of record [3]. The proposed formation of the CVE Foundation [4], supported by private-sector organizations and multiple governments [4], aims to establish a diversified funding model to ensure the program’s resilience and promote global participation and transparency.
Stakeholders have expressed concerns about the potential fragmentation of the CVE ecosystem if the US government withdraws its support, highlighting the urgency of establishing a reliable funding mechanism [4]. The belief that the CVE program is essential for national security has led to calls for a collaborative approach that includes input from software producers and other relevant parties. Despite the challenges [4], there is significant support from private-sector companies and non-US governments to establish the CVE Foundation [4], although concerns about conflicts of interest among its board members have been raised [4].
As discussions continue [4], the primary goal remains to ensure the CVE program’s survival and health [4], providing critical infrastructure for the cybersecurity community [4]. Building resilience in cybersecurity involves combining data from multiple systems to create a reliable system of truth [3], enabling organizations to prioritize and respond to threats effectively [3]. The CVE program has seen a significant increase in vulnerabilities [5], now exceeding 40,000 annually [5], underscoring the need for ongoing collaboration and innovation in vulnerability management.
Conclusion
The developments in the CVE program emphasize the necessity for a robust and diversified approach to vulnerability management. Ensuring the program’s stability through diversified funding and international collaboration is crucial for maintaining cybersecurity resilience. The establishment of complementary resources like the EUVD and the proposed CVE Foundation can mitigate risks associated with reliance on a single source, fostering a more resilient and effective global cybersecurity infrastructure.
References
[1] https://www.techzine.eu/news/security/131390/europe-launches-its-own-security-database-following-cve-uncertainty/
[2] https://www.itpro.com/security/the-eu-just-launched-its-own-vulnerability-database
[3] https://www.cybersecurityintelligence.com/blog/why-the-cve-funding-crisis-is-a-wake-up-call-for-cyber-resilience-8425.html
[4] https://cyberscoop.com/cve-program-funding-crisis-cve-foundation-mitre/
[5] https://thecyberexpress.com/eu-vulnerability-database-officially-launches-amid-cve-program-concerns/
[6] https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366623995/Enisa-launches-European-vulnerability-database
