Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange (VEX): The Standard Revolutionizing Security Operations
"Security teams are drowning in CVEs, yet only a fraction are truly exploitable. VEX (Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange) is changing the game by enabling smarter, risk-based vulnerability management. Discover how this standard is revolutionizing security operations.
Published Feb 20, 2025
In the world of cybersecurity, defense strategies are constantly evolving in response to increasing software complexity and dependencies on open source. **Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange (VEX)** emerges as a mechanism that fundamentally addresses the issues of unnecessary patch management and risk prioritization—one of the most critical fronts in this battle. According to MITRE's 2024 data, only 2% of identified CVEs are actively exploited, while 78% of organizations tend to automatically patch all high-priority CVSS-rated vulnerabilities[^3][^4]. VEX introduces a communication protocol designed to eliminate this inefficiency.
In the first quarter of 2025, the number of CVEs added to the NIST database surpassed 25,000, setting a new record[^1]. However, research by Endor Labs reveals that only 5.2% of these vulnerabilities are actually exploitable[^3]. Traditional security approaches classify all high-CVSS-rated vulnerabilities as threats requiring urgent patches, leading to unnecessary updates that disrupt system stability.
Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) have become a cornerstone of modern supply chain security. However, according to ARMO's 2024 report, SBOMs only document component existence without providing context on how a vulnerability manifests in a specific product[^4]. For instance, the presence of the log4shell (CVE-2021-44228) vulnerability in a component does not necessarily mean that the component is vulnerable to attacks.
The lack of clear information flow between vendors and customer security teams hampers risk management. As a cybersecurity expert on Reddit emphasized: "Customers should be able to automatically understand the risk status instead of waiting for feedback on every CVE"[^1]. VEX fills this communication gap with standardized metadata formats.
VEX functions as a complementary metadata layer for SBOM standards like OWASP CycloneDX and SPDX. Its JSON or XML-based structure includes four core components[^3][^4]:
- Product Identification: Hash values and version details of the affected software
- Vulnerability Reference: CVE or CWE ID
- Impact Status: "Affected," "Not Affected," "Fixed," "Risk Mitigated"
- Justification: Technical details supporting the status (e.g., call graph analysis, configuration evidence)
Example VEX Scenario:
A financial software vendor identifies CVE-2023-12345 in its use of the Apache Struts library. However, risk analysis shows that the affected methods are not called in the code. A VEX document is created with a "Not Affected" status and shared with customers, preventing unnecessary urgent update pressure[^4].
The generation of VEX documents should be integrated immediately after SBOM creation in the modern software development lifecycle. Endor Labs recommends the following workflow[^3]:
1. Automatic SBOM generation during the build process
2. Vulnerability scanning using static/dynamic analysis tools
3. Call graph analysis to determine the real impact domain
4. VEX document generation in SPDX or CycloneDX format
5. Uploading SBOM+VEX packages to the artifact repository
VEX documents can be integrated with SIEM systems and SOAR platforms for automated risk management. For example:
- VEX entries marked as "Affected" can automatically create tickets in Jira
- "Risk Mitigated" statuses can activate existing WAF rules
- CVEs marked as "Not Affected" can be filtered out from SOC dashboards
To comply with NIST SSDF requirements, all software components obtained from suppliers should be delivered with VEX documents. This ensures:
- Accelerated third-party risk assessments
- Automated compliance audits
- Up to 70% optimization in emergency patching processes[^4]
- OWASP CycloneDX VEX Extension: Provides VEX support integrated into SBOM generation tools [^1][^3]
- vexctl: A CLI-based tool for generating and validating VEX documents
- OpenVEX: A cloud-native VEX format developed under the Linux Foundation
- Endor Labs Open Source: Automated SBOM+VEX generation and dependency analysis[^3]
- Anchore Enterprise: VEX management focused on container security
- JFrog Xray: Risk assessment with artifact repository integration
- AWS Security Hub: Automated risk scoring based on VEX
- Azure Defender for Cloud: Container security with VEX metadata
- Google Cloud Security Command Center: Supply chain monitoring with VEX support
By the end of 2025, VEX is expected to be included in the ISO/IEC 5962 standard. Key developments include:
- Machine Learning Integration: Automatic determination of VEX statuses using EPSS scores
- Blockchain Verification: Storing VEX documents as immutable records
- IoT Adaptations: A lightweight VEX-Lite format for embedded systems
Adopting VEX in corporate security strategies is not just a technical necessity but also a crucial step in building trust within supply chain relationships. According to Gartner's 2025 predictions, organizations implementing VEX can achieve up to a 40% reduction in patch management costs while lowering security breach risks by 65%[^4].
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**References and Further Reading**
[^3] Endor Labs VEX Guide
[^5]: https://www.reddit.com/r/devsecops/comments/11658fg/whats_the_real_benefits_of_sbom_vs_software/
[^6]: https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/11gw26q/how_do_you_vet_third_party_libraries_before/
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