What Makes CVSS-TE Different?
Standard CVSS Base scores measure the technical severity of a vulnerability, but don't account for real-world threat context.
A vulnerability might have a high base score but no exploits, while another with a moderate score could be actively exploited in the wild.
CVSS-TE solves this problem by incorporating exploit availability, quality, and threat intelligence to provide
scores that better reflect actual risk.
Three Levels of Scoring
CVSS Base Score
Standard severity rating based on technical characteristics (impact, exploitability). Provided by NVD.
CVSS-BT Score (Base + Temporal)
Adds exploit maturity using the official CVSS Temporal metric. Adjusts scores based on whether exploits exist (Unproven, Proof-of-Concept, Functional, High, Attacked).
CVSS-TE Score (Threat-Enhanced)
Extends CVSS-BT by evaluating exploit quality (reliability, ease of use, effectiveness) and incorporating threat intelligence factors (KEV status, EPSS scores, exploit sources).
Key Benefits
Reduces False Positives
Vulnerabilities with high base scores but no exploitation evidence are appropriately downgraded, reducing alert fatigue.
Example: CVE with Base 9.1 → CVSS-TE 6.8 (no exploits)
Highlights True Threats
Actively exploited vulnerabilities are properly elevated, even if base scores are moderate.
Example: CVE with Base 7.5 → CVSS-TE 8.3 (active exploits)
Context-Aware
Incorporates CISA KEV mandatory patching, EPSS exploitation probability, and multiple exploit sources.
Actionable Priority
Focus remediation efforts on vulnerabilities that pose real-world risk rather than theoretical severity.
Threat Intelligence Sources
CISA KEV
Confirmed exploitation
EPSS
Exploitation probability
Metasploit
Weaponized modules
ExploitDB
Public exploits
Nuclei
Detection templates
GitHub PoCs
Proof-of-concepts
Want to Learn More?
Read our comprehensive whitepaper for detailed methodology, formulas, and examples.
CVSS-TE combines official CVSS standards with real-world threat intelligence for better vulnerability prioritization