Cybersecurity definition
What is CVSS?
CVSS stands for Common Vulnerability Scoring System.
By Cyber Tool Stack Editorial TeamUpdated
Definition
An industry-standard formula for scoring how severe a vulnerability is, producing a 0-10 number from factors like how easily it can be exploited and what an attacker gains. The current major version, CVSS 4.0, added metrics for real-world threat activity and automatability that earlier versions lacked.
Where CVSS fits in the security landscape
These beginner lessons use this term while explaining the surrounding security control.
Related cybersecurity terms
CVECommon Vulnerabilities and ExposuresA public catalog that assigns a unique identifier to a specific, publicly known software or hardware vulnerability, so vendors, researchers, and tools can all refer to the same flaw unambiguously.EPSSExploit Prediction Scoring SystemA data-driven score estimating the probability that a specific vulnerability will actually be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days, meant to be used alongside CVSS severity rather than in place of it when deciding what to patch first.