Open Source Vulnerability Database: Difference between revisions

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'''Open Source Vulnerability Database (OSVDB)''' is an independent and [[open source]] [[database]] created by and for the community. The goal of the project is to provide accurate, detailed, current, and unbiased technical information on [[Information security|security]] vulnerabilities. The project promotes greater, open collaboration between companies and individuals, eliminates redundant works, and reduce expenses inherent with the development and maintenance of in-house vulnerability databases.

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The '''Open Sourced Vulnerability Database''' ('''OSVDB''') was an independent and open-sourced [[vulnerability database]]. The goal of the project was to provide accurate, detailed, current, and unbiased technical information on [[Information security|security]] vulnerabilities.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rosencrance|first=Linda|date=2004-04-16|title=Brief: Vulnerability database goes live|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2563666/brief--vulnerability-database-goes-live.html|access-date=2020-08-15|website=Computerworld|language=en}}</ref> The project promoted greater and more open collaboration between companies and individuals. The database's motto was "Everything is Vulnerable".<ref>{{cite web |title=Biased software vulnerability stats praising Microsoft were 101% misleading |url=https://www.csoonline.com/article/2226625/biased-software-vulnerability-stats-praising-microsoft-were-101--misleading.html |accessdate=20 May 2020}}</ref>

The core of OSVDB was a relational database which tied various information about security vulnerabilities into a common, cross-referenced [[open security]] data source. As of December 2013, the database cataloged over 100,000 vulnerabilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.osvdb.org/2014/01/20/we-hit-the-100000-mark/ |title=We hit the 100,000 mark… |date=20 January 2014 |access-date=22 January 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> While the database was maintained by a 501(c)(3) non-profit public organization and volunteers, the data was prohibited for commercial use without a license. Despite that, many large commercial companies used the data in violation of the license without contributing employee volunteer time or financial compensation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=McAfee accused of McSlurping Open Source Vulnerability Database|url=https://www.theregister.com/2014/05/08/whats_copyright_mcafee_mcslurps_vuln_database/|access-date=2020-08-15|website=www.theregister.com|language=en}}</ref>

==History==

The project was started in August [[2002]] at the [[Black Hat Briefings|Blackhat]] and [[DEF CON]] Conferences by several industry notables (including [[H. D. Moore]], rain.forrestforest.puppy, and others). Under mostly-new management, the database officially launched to the public on [[March 31]], [[2004]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/3053613/open-source-vulnerabilities-database-shuts-down.html |title=Open-source vulnerabilities database shuts down |first=Jon |last=Gold |work=Network World |date=7 April 2016 |access-date=22 January 2020}}</ref> The original implementation was written in PHP by Forrest Rae (FBR). Later, the entire site was re-written in Ruby on Rails by David Shettler.

The [[Open Security Foundation]] (OSF) was created to ensure the project's continuing support. [[BrianJake Martin]]Kouns AKA Jericho(Zel), [[Chris Sullo]], Kelly Todd (AKA SulloLyger), ofDavid NiktoShettler (AKA fameD2D), and [[JakeBrian Kouns]]Martin are(AKA Jericho) were project leaders for the OSVDB project, and currently holdheld leadership roles in the OSF at various times.

On 5 April 2016, the database was shut down, while the blog was initially continued by Brian Martin.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.osvdb.org/2016/04/05/osvdb-fin/ |title=OSVDB: Fin |date=5 April 2016 |access-date=22 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528152631/https://blog.osvdb.org/2016/04/05/osvdb-fin/ |archive-date=28 May 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The reason for the shut down was the ongoing commercial but uncompensated use by security companies.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kovacs|first=Eduard|title=McAfee Issues Response to OSVDB Accusations Regarding Data Scraping|url=https://news.softpedia.com/news/McAfee-Issues-Response-to-OSVDB-Accusations-Regarding-Data-Scraping-441323.shtml|access-date=2020-08-15|website=softpedia|language=english}}</ref>

==Mission==

Its goal is to provide accurate, unbiased information about security vulnerabilities in computerized equipment. The core of OSVDB is a relational database which ties various information about security vulnerabilities into a common, cross-referenced data source.

As of January 2012, vulnerability entry was performed by full-time employees of Risk Based Security,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Homepage|url=https://www.riskbasedsecurity.com/|access-date=2020-08-15|website=RBS|language=en-US}}</ref> who provided the personnel to do the work in order to give back to the community. Every new entry included a full title, disclosure timeline, description, solution (if known), classification metadata, references, products, and researcher who discovered the vulnerability (creditee).

==Process==

Vulnerability reportsOriginally, advisoriesvulnerability and exploitsdisclosures posted in various security lists enterand web sites were entered into the database as a new entry in the New Data Mangler (NDM) queue. The new entry containscontained only a title and links to entries of the same vulnerability in other security listsdisclosure. However,At at thisthat stage the page for the new entry doesndidn't contain any detailed description of the vulnerability. Afteror theany newassociated entriesmetadata. areAs thoroughlytime scrutinizedpermitted, new entries were analyzed and refined, by us,adding wea adddescription of the vulnerability description,as technicalwell description,as a solution description,if manualavailable. testingThis notes,general etcactivity was called "data mangling" and someone who performed this task a "mangler". ThenMangling thesewas done by core or casual volunteers. Details submitted by detailsvolunteers arewere reviewed by otherthe memberscore ofvolunteers, called '''OSVDB'''"moderators", further refinedrefining ifthe necessaryentry andor thenrejecting madethe stablevolunteer changes if necessary. OnceNew itinformation isadded stable,to thean detailedentry informationthat appearswas onapproved thewas pagethen foravailable to anyone browsing the entrysite.

==Contributors==

Some of the key people that volunteered and maintained '''OSVDB''':

Some enthusiastic hackers are volunteering to maintain '''OSVDB'''. Some of the active members are as follows:

* Jake Kouns (Officer of OSF, Moderator)

* Brian Martin a.k.a. Jericho (Officer of OSF, Moderator)

* Kelly Todd a.k.a. Lyger (Officer of OSF, Moderator)

* David Shettler (Officer of OSF, Developer)

* [[Chris Sullo]] (ManglerModerator)

* Daniel Moeller (Moderator)

* Forrest Rae (Developer)

Other volunteers who have helped in the past include:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-05-02 |title=OSVDB: Open Sourced Vulnerability Database |url=http://osvdb.com/contributors |access-date=2024-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502042016/http://osvdb.com/contributors |archive-date=2 May 2014 }}</ref>

* [[Steve Tornio]] (Moderator, Mangler)

* Zach Shue (Moderator)

* Alexander Koren a.k.a. ph0enix (Mangler)

* Carsten Eiram a.k.a. Chep (Moderator)

* [[Susam Pal]]Marlowe (Mangler)

* [[Travis Schack]] (Mangler)

* Susam Pal (Mangler)

* [[Christian Seifert]] (Mangler)

* Zain Memon

== References ==

* [[H. D. Moore]] (Creator, Mangler)

<references />

* [[Brian Martin]] (Moderator, Mangler)

* [[Chris Sullo]] (Mangler)

* [[Steve Tornio]] (Moderator, Mangler)

* [[Travis Schack]] (Mangler)

* [[Susam Pal]] (Mangler)

* [[Christian Seifert]] (Mangler)

== External links ==

* [https://blog.osvdb.org/ OSVDB Blog]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

* [http://www.osvdb.org/ Open Source Vulnerability Database (OSVDB)]

* [httphttps://www.opensecurityfoundationriskbasedsecurity.orgcom/ OpenRisk Based Security Foundation (OSF)]

[[Category:5-letterSecurity acronymsvulnerability databases]]

[[Category:ComputerInternet securityproperties established in 2002]]

[[Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2016]]