Name of Your Organization:

IBM Internet Security Systems

Web Site:

http://www.iss.net/

Compatible Capability:

ISS X-Force Alerts and Advisories

Capability home page:

http://www.iss.net/threats/ThreatList.php

1) Product Accessibility <CR_2.4>

Provide a short description of how and where your capability is made available to your customers and the public (required):

ISS X-Force Alerts and Advisories are made publicly available to visitors to our web page http://www.iss.net/threats/ThreatList.php customers are notified of new alerts and advisories through our home page, and email notifications.

4) Map Currency Indication <CR_5.1>

Describe how and where your capability indicates the most recent CVE version used to create or update its mappings (required):

The X-Force Alerts and Advisories use the latest CVE version available in the X-Force database. X-Force performs reconciliation between CVE and the X-Force database using daily updates as reported from the CERIAS/Purdue University CVE-diff mailing list (CVE_diff@cerias.purdue.edu). X-Force maintains an X-Force FAQ Web page (http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq) describing the X-Force database, the current CVE version information, in addition to details of how ISS X-Force represents and updates CVE information in the X-Force Database. The CVE version is located at specifically at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.6.

6) Map Currency Update Time <CR_5.3>

Describe how and where you explain to your customers the timeframe they should expect an update of your capability's mappings to reflect a newly released CVE version (recommended):

The X-Force database team updates new CVE candidates daily, and upon notification of a new CVE version, X-Force updates the X-Force database days after a list of CVE names is available. A statement of these methods are posted on the X-Force FAQ page at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq, specifically at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.5. Alerts and Advisories are updated accordingly based on the changes made.

7) CVE and Compatibility Documentation<CR_4.1>

Provide a copy, or directions to its location, of where your documentation describes CVE and CVE compatibility for your customers (required):

X-Force describes CVE with respect to the X-Force Database in the X-Force FAQ document. The section describing MITRE CVE is available at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.

8) Documentation of Finding Elements Using CVE Names <CR_4.2>

Provide a copy, or directions to its location, of where your documentation describes the specific details of how your customers can use CVE names to find the individual security elements within your capability's repository (required):

CVE names may be used as a search criterion from the search page at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/search.php (enhanced database search). The description and procedures have been documented at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.8.

9) Documentation of Finding CVE Names Using Elements <CR_4.3>

Provide a copy, or directions to its location, of where your documentation describes the process a user would follow to find the CVE names associated with individual security elements within your capability's repository (required):

CVE names may be used from the search page at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/search.php (enhanced database search). The description and procedures have been documented at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.8.

11) Candidates Versus Entries Indication <CR_6.1>

If CVE candidates are supported or used, explain how you indicate that candidates are not accepted CVE entries (required):

The X-Force database uses CVE candidate (CAN) names. There are two instances where CVE entries may not be accepted:

• If the CVE candidate has not yet been promoted to a CVE name, then the CAN- prefix is used for all candidates to differentiate them from CVE entries that use the CVE- prefix.
• If a CVE candidate is rejected and MITRE notes this fact in the description, then the X-Force database will display the same description provided by MITRE. However, because our customers often search for all types of CVE names, including those that are unaccepted or rejected, there are no plans to remove or alter CVE names further than updating the description. The X-Force FAQ at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.9 describes how we handle special CVE names, including reserved and rejected names.

12) Candidates Versus Entries Explanation <CR_6.2>

If CVE candidates are supported or used, explain where and how the difference between candidates and entries is explained to your customers (recommended):

The X-Force FAQ page describes the differences between CVE names and candidates at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.2.

13) Candidate to Entry Promotion <CR_6.3>

If CVE candidates are supported or used, explain your policy for changing candidates into entries within your capability and describe where and how this is communicated to your customers (recommended):

X-Force uses discrepancy and change reports to identify which CVE names need to be addressed, changed, or reconciled. These reports are generated by daily runs of script-based processes. A daily run after MITRE issues a Final Decision list for a given CVE version will usually result in a large list of actions, and the resultant work can typically be completed in a few days, depending on current workload and the number of promoted candidates. Products that use the X-Force Database uptake the updated information at the next major product version release, or during the next applicable update. A summary of this policy is available at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.5 and http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.6.

14) Candidate and Entry Search Support <CR_6.4>

If CVE candidates are supported or used, explain where and how a customer can find the explanation of your search function's ability to look for candidates and entries by using just the YYYY-NNNN portion of the CVE names (recommended):

The X-Force database search engine supports partial matches of the form YYYY-NNNN. The documentation describing this capability is available at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.8.

15) Search Support for Promoted Candidates <CR_6.5>

If CVE candidates are supported or used, explain where and how a customer can find the explanation of your search function's support for retrieving the CVE entry for a candidate that is no longer a candidate (recommended):

The X-Force database and its search engine do not support cross-checking when the entire CVE or candidate name is provided. X-Force recommends that users search on partial matches of the form YYYY-NNNN. Because X-Force uses automated processes to update CVE names on a daily basis, the promotion of a candidate to CVE status usually displays the update in a matter of hours (for daily updates) or days (for mass-changes such as CVE Final Decisions). The documentation describing this capability is available at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.8.

Type-Specific Capability Questions

26) Finding Online Capability Tasks Using CVE Names <CR_A.4.1>

Give detailed examples and explanations of how a "find" or "search" function is available to the user to locate tasks in the online capability by looking for their associated CVE name or through an online mapping that links each element of the capability with its associated CVE name(s) (required):

1. From the Enhanced Search (http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/search.php) Web page for the X-Force database, enter the CVE name in one of the following formats:

Format Example
CVE-YYYY-NNNN CVE-2003-0001
CAN-YYYY-NNNN CAN-2003-0001
YYYY-NNNN 2003-0001

1. Select Search by Keyword. The Keyword Search Results page appears.
2. Under the Displaying results list, select the appropriate link for more information. The X-Force Database Results page appears, and the CVE or candidate name appears in the "Standards associated with this entry" section.

Note: Searches may also return results for documents external to the X-Force database, such as advisory bulletins or other documents. This capability is documented at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.8.

29) Finding CVE Names Using Online Capability Elements <CR_A.4.2>

Give detailed examples and explanations of how, for reports that identify individual security elements, the online capability allows the user to determine the associated CVE names for the individual security elements in the report (required):

This capability is available on each Web page in the "Standards associated with this entry" section. For CAN and CVE names, the section lists the CVE name, a link to the MITRE CVE entry for the same name (opens in a new browser window), and the description MITRE provides for the CVE name or candidate. This capability is documented at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.7.

If the candidate description either reports that it is not yet released or has been deprecated, the X-Force database will contain verbatim information in the description section for that name. This capability is documented at http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfaq/index.html#6.9.

For example:
http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfdb/10996
CAN-2003-0001: Multiple Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) device drivers do not pad frames with null bytes, which allows remote attackers to obtain information from previous packets or kernel memory by using malformed packets, as demonstrated by Etherleak.

http://xforce.iss.net/xforce/xfdb/8837
CAN-2002-1234: ** REJECT ** DO NOT USE THIS CANDIDATE NUMBER. This candidate is a an out-of-band assignment duplicate of CAN-2002-0180. All CVE users should reference CAN-2002-0180 instead of this candidate. All references and descriptions in this candidate have been removed to prevent accidental usage.

<no associated page; example content only>
CAN-2001-0158: ** RESERVED ** This candidate has been reserved by an organization or individual that will use it when announcing a new security problem. When the candidate has been publicized, the details for this candidate will be provided.

37) Statement of Compatibility <CR_2.7>

Have an authorized individual sign and date the following Compatibility Statement (required):

"As an authorized representative of my organization I agree that we will abide by all of the mandatory CVE Compatibility Requirements as well as all of the additional mandatory CVE Compatibility Requirements that are appropriate for our specific type of capability."

Name: Alain Sergile

Title: X-Force Alerts and Advisories Product Manager

38) Statement of Accuracy <CR_3.4>

Have an authorized individual sign and date the following accuracy Statement (recommended):

"As an authorized representative of my organization and to the best of my knowledge, there are no errors in the mapping between our capability's Repository and the CVE entries our capability identifies."

Name: Luanne Johnson

Title: Team Lead for the X-Force database

39) Statement on False-Positives and False-Negatives <CR_A.2.8 and/or CR_A.3.5>

FOR TOOLS ONLY - Have an authorized individual sign and date the following statement about your tools efficiency in identification of security elements (required):

"As an authorized representative of my organization and to the best of my knowledge, normally when our capability reports a specific security element, it is generally correct and normally when an event occurs that is related to a specific security element our capability generally reports it."

Name: Luanne Johnson

Title: Team Lead for the X-Force database