CVE
In plain terms
A public identifier for a known security vulnerability.
Going deeper
CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) assigns a unique ID to each disclosed vulnerability so everyone references the same issue. It standardizes vulnerability tracking.
Under the hood
IDs like CVE-2021-44228 (Log4Shell) enable coordinated tracking, scanning, and patching.
Examples
CVE-2021-44228 (Log4Shell), vulnerability databases, patch tracking, scanners.
Think of it like...
Like a catalog number assigned to each known defect so everyone discusses the same one.