Common Platform Enumeration (CPE)
Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) is a structured naming scheme for information technology systems, software, and packages. CPE was developed to facilitate the automated processing of IT security information, vulnerability identification, and configuration management. Here are key aspects of CPE:
History and Development
Structure of CPE
CPE uses a hierarchical naming convention to identify and categorize IT products:
- Part: Specifies whether the product is hardware, operating system, or application software.
- Vendor: The company or organization that produces the product.
- Product: The name of the product.
- Version: The version number of the product.
- Update: The update or patch level of the product.
- Edition: The edition or variant of the product.
- Language: The language in which the product is available.
- Sw_Edition: Software edition or flavor.
- Target_Sw: The target software environment for which the product is intended.
- Target_Hw: The target hardware for which the product is intended.
- Other: Any other distinguishing characteristics.
Usage
CPE is used in various security-related contexts:
- Vulnerability Management: To identify and categorize systems or applications that might be vulnerable to specific threats.
- Configuration Management: For tracking software and hardware configurations within an enterprise.
- Security Automation: As part of SCAP, CPE facilitates automated security management, including patch management and compliance checking.
- Software Inventory: Helps in creating an accurate inventory of IT assets within an organization.
External Links
Related Topics