April 3, 2024 at 10:12AM
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) List managed by MITRE and the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) overseen by NIST are no longer considered a single reliable source of vulnerability information. Challenges include missing vulnerabilities, false positives, and resource limitations. NIST, acknowledging the backlog, is seeking a consortium to improve vulnerability management. Efforts to enhance transparency and collaboration between organizations and the government are recommended.
The main issues highlighted in the meeting notes include the lack of a single central source of vulnerability truth, the incomplete coverage and reliability of the CVE system, and the resource challenges facing both MITRE and NIST.
To address these challenges, potential solutions discussed in the notes include increasing the number of approved CVE Numbering Authorities (CNAs) to improve the collection of vulnerabilities. However, this approach poses the risk of potential errors due to a wider pool of submissions. Additionally, third-party organizations have attempted to create their own enriched vulnerability databases, further complicating the issue by dispersing the relevant information across multiple sources.
Furthermore, the notes mention that NIST has acknowledged a backlog of vulnerabilities requiring analysis and is working on establishing a consortium of industry, government, and other stakeholder organizations to improve the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and address the growing challenges.
In summary, the fundamental issues include the need for a more comprehensive and reliable vulnerability management system, the balance between increasing the collection of vulnerabilities and maintaining accuracy, and the challenges that come with resource constraints. The proposed solutions include establishing a consortium to collaborate on research to improve the NVD and potentially reevaluating the current approach to vulnerability management.
Please let me know if there are any specific action items or additional details you would like me to include in the report.