FAQ

CVE identifiers are assigned by a US non-profit organization called the MITRE Corporation, which manages the CVE program on behalf of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). MITRE does not distribute all identifiers alone: it relies on a network of partners called CNAs (CVE Numbering Authorities).

A CNA can be a software publisher, a security vendor, a CERT, or an organization specializing in vulnerabilities. Each CNA is authorized to assign CVE identifiers for vulnerabilities discovered in its own products or within its scope. This system accelerates the reporting of vulnerabilities while maintaining a centralized structure via MITRE.

The CVSS score is generally defined by the organization that publishes the vulnerability, often a CNA (CVE Numbering Authority) or the software vendor concerned. In addition, entities such as the NVD (National Vulnerability Database) sometimes recalculate or adjust scores to ensure consistency between published CVEs.

Automated tools also allow independent researchers, SOC analysts, or security vendors to recalculate a score based on the published CVSS vector. This means that the same CVE can have several slightly different scores depending on the context and the evaluator, which encourages cross-referencing sources for critical decisions.