MITRE’s CVE Program Funding Set to Expire, Threatening Global Security Infrastructure
Funding for MITRE’s essential Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Program is set to expire Wednesday, creating potential disruption to a critical cybersecurity resource used worldwide. MITRE has confirmed that government funding for this cornerstone vulnerability tracking system will lapse, potentially undermining cybersecurity efforts across multiple sectors.
The CVE Program, established in 1999, provides the standardized identification system for cybersecurity vulnerabilities that both public and private organizations rely on daily. This catalog serves as the universal “Dewey Decimal System” for cybersecurity, allowing professionals to communicate using consistent references for known threats. The program has cataloged nearly 275,000 vulnerability records to date.
“If a break in service were to occur, we anticipate multiple impacts to CVE, including deterioration of national vulnerability databases and advisories, tool vendors, incident response operations, and all manner of critical infrastructure,” warned Yosry Barsoum, director of MITRE’s Center for Securing the Homeland, in an internal memo.
The funding lapse extends beyond just the CVE Program to include related initiatives such as the Common Weakness Enumeration program, creating a compounding effect on cybersecurity infrastructure.
Without the CVE system, security professionals would face significant challenges, including:
- Delayed threat response as teams struggle to identify and prioritize vulnerabilities without standardized references
- Potential failure of automated security tools that rely on CVE identifiers
- Disruption to government guidance, including CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
- Breakdown in global coordination for addressing cybersecurity threats
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which partners with MITRE on the CVE Program, is already facing significant budget cuts. A CISA spokesperson said the agency is urgently working to mitigate the impact and to maintain CVE services.
The timing is particularly concerning as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has already been struggling to manage submissions to its National Vulnerability Database.
Not surprisingly, security experts the world over have sounded the alarm. House Science Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren and Homeland Security Ranking Member Bernie Thompson have expressed concern that this will “undermine cybersecurity around the world.”
“Eliminating this contract will allow malicious actors to operate in the dark,” they warned in a joint statement, urging the Department of Homeland Security to “fully restore funding to this program before catastrophe strikes.”
Meanwhile, MITRE has indicated its commitment to continuing the program. “The government continues to make considerable efforts to support MITRE’s role in the program and MITRE remains committed to CVE as a global resource,” Barsoum stated.
As the Wednesday deadline approaches, cybersecurity professionals across industries are watching closely, concerned about potential disruptions to this foundational element of global cyber defense infrastructure.
This article was originally published on LinkedIn.
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