When we mention critical vulnerabilities in our blog posts, we almost always reference their CVE IDs. For example, in our article on threat detection versus threat hunting, we mentioned “a critical backdoor vulnerability (CVE-2024-3094) discovered in the widely used open-source library XZ Utils.” That simple identifier—CVE-2024-3094—instantly communicates to security professionals exactly which vulnerability we’re discussing, its severity, and where to find more information.
This standardized system has been the backbone of vulnerability management for 25 years, helping organizations worldwide to track, prioritize, and remediate security flaws with remarkable efficiency. When a security professional mentions “Heartbleed (CVE-2014-0160)” or “Log4Shell (CVE-2021-44228),” there’s no ambiguity about what they’re referring to, so it’s much easier for them to coordinate an effective response.
Yet in April 2025, this pillar of cybersecurity nearly collapsed overnight. With just hours to spare before the program’s funding expired, an 11th-hour reprieve temporarily saved the system, but the foundation has been shaken. And disturbingly, other similar pillars of our collective cyber defense are now on increasingly unsteady ground. For regular businesses, this uncertainty creates real-world risks they can’t afford to ignore.
How the CVE System Nearly Collapsed Overnight
The cybersecurity community was blindsided when MITRE Corporation—the non-profit that has been managing the CVE program—sent a warning letter to CVE board members, informing them that its contract with the U.S. government would expire on April 16, 2025. The news threatened to disrupt a system that catalogs over 40,000 new vulnerabilities each year and serves as the backbone of most security tools used by businesses worldwide.
The letter warned that the expiration would cause “deterioration of national vulnerability databases and advisories, tool vendors, incident response operations, and all manner of critical infrastructure.”
Why did this happen? The funding cut appeared to be part of broader cost-cutting measures across federal cybersecurity programs, with reports that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) faced staff cuts of over a third and other key security programs were simultaneously threatened.
Thankfully, CISA made a last-minute announcement that they had “executed the option period on the contract to ensure there will be no lapse in critical CVE services.” This bought the program 11 more months of life, but the close call made it clear to the whole world that the pillars of cybersecurity are not as stable as we once believed.
Why Your Business Needs Its Own CVE Contingency Plan
After the initial shock, the near-collapse of the CVE system triggered rapid responses from key players. The CVE board wasted no time announcing the formation of a new, independent CVE Foundation aimed at “eliminating a single point of failure in the vulnerability management ecosystem.”
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the European Union accelerated the development of its European Union Vulnerability Database (EUVD). What began as a regional complement to the CVE system now looks increasingly like a potential replacement or competing standard.
These developments might sound reassuring. After all, isn’t redundancy good? Well, yes and no. Having multiple systems creates resilience, but it also introduces complexity and potentially creates confusion (such as when different security tools reference different identifiers for the same vulnerability). Then there’s the question of transition timelines since moving a critical global resource to a new governance model will take years, not months.
Here’s the harsh truth that nobody wants to admit: If you’re waiting for the “system” to fix itself, you’re making a potentially costly mistake. Your security tools expect standardized vulnerability data. Your compliance requirements demand consistent vulnerability management. Your cyber insurance may even require the timely patching of known vulnerabilities.
Unfortunately, the days of taking the CVE system for granted are over. Businesses need to prepare for a more fragmented vulnerability landscape and put contingency plans in place so they don’t depend on a single identification system or data source.
Essential Post-Crisis Actions to Secure Your Business
The CVE crisis is a wake-up call for businesses of all sizes. Here are concrete steps you can take now to ensure your business remains secure in this new, uncertain landscape.
Revamp Your Vulnerability Management Workflow
Now is the perfect time to review and strengthen your entire vulnerability management process so that your organization can respond effectively regardless of how vulnerabilities are identified or where threat information comes from.
Begin by documenting your current workflow. How do vulnerabilities move from initial identification to risk assessment to patching? Where does the CVE system fit in this process, and what would break if it disappeared tomorrow? This exercise alone often reveals dangerous dependencies and single points of failure.
Next, consider adopting a risk-based approach rather than a compliance-driven one. Instead of simply tracking “all CVEs,” focus on the actual risk each vulnerability poses to your specific environment. The EPSS scoring system offers a more actionable alternative to traditional CVSS scores by estimating the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the next 30 days.
Finally, run a tabletop exercise with your team to simulate a complete failure of the CVE system. How would you identify, prioritize, and remediate a critical new vulnerability without CVE IDs? The gaps identified in this exercise will highlight where your process needs strengthening. Most organizations quickly realize they need multiple sources of vulnerability intelligence to maintain security in an uncertain landscape.
Diversify Your Vulnerability Intelligence Sources
Relying solely on the CVE system is now a clear business risk. Instead, it’s a good idea for organizations to broaden their vulnerability intelligence intake to include multiple sources. To get started, check whether your current security tools can ingest vulnerability data from alternative identification systems, such as:
- European Union Vulnerability Database (EUVD) – The EU’s official vulnerability database, which uses its own identifiers alongside CVE IDs
- OSV.dev – Google-backed, open-source vulnerability database that aggregates from 24 different sources
- Sonatype OSS Index – Free, API-accessible database focused on open-source packages
- GitHub Advisory Database – Community-powered database of security advisories for GitHub-hosted projects
- Global Security Database (GSD) – Cloud Security Alliance’s attempt at a more globally inclusive vulnerability database
- Snyk Vulnerability Database – Commercial database with human analysis that includes unpublished vulnerabilities
Many modern security platforms support multiple feeds, but you might need to enable these capabilities or request updates from your vendors.
Besides redundancy, another advantage is that different vulnerability databases sometimes capture different issues. For example, regional databases often identify vulnerabilities in local software that might not receive a CVE identifier immediately. Likewise, vendor-specific security advisories often contain more detailed remediation guidance than you’ll find in general-purpose vulnerability databases.
Invest in Advanced Threat Detection Capabilities
As the vulnerability identification landscape becomes more fractured, the gap between a vulnerability’s discovery and its official cataloging could widen. That’s why businesses should consider upgrading from signature-based antivirus to next-generation endpoint detection and response (EDR) or extended detection and response (XDR) solutions, which use behavioral analysis, machine learning, and heuristic detection to identify suspicious activity without requiring predefined vulnerability signatures.
Leading solutions can detect exploitation attempts of previously unknown vulnerabilities (zero-days) by monitoring for unusual system behavior, memory manipulation, or suspicious process execution chains. Increasingly many platforms now integrate threat intelligence feeds with local behavioral monitoring to provide robust protection against the most current threats.
A good example is Microsoft Defender for Business, which is designed specifically with smaller businesses in mind yet capable of delivering enterprise-grade endpoint security, including threat and vulnerability management, attack surface reduction, and automated investigation capabilities.
Conclusion: Prepare for a New Reality
The CVE program’s funding crisis revealed a critical vulnerability in how we manage… well—vulnerabilities. While an 11-month extension provides temporary relief, businesses should make the best possible use of the time by building resilience against future disruptions.
While large enterprises have dedicated security teams to navigate these challenges, small and medium businesses typically don’t have the in-house expertise or resources to implement these changes effectively. This is where a managed security services provider like OSIbeyond can make a significant difference. We help businesses adapt to evolving security landscapes by providing the expertise, tools, and guidance needed to establish robust vulnerability management processes that don’t depend on a single system or standard.
Don’t wait for the next crisis to expose gaps in your security posture. Contact OSIbeyond today to discuss how our team can help you prepare for this new reality of uncertainty so that your business remains protected regardless of what happens with the CVE program or other cybersecurity standards in the future.