CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog Surpasses 1,000 Entries
CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, established in November 2021 via BOD 22-01, surpassed 1,000 entries, a milestone CISA marked in a September 18, 2023 blog post. The catalog, which requires federal civilian agencies to remediate listed vulnerabilities within defined timelines, has become a de facto standard for vulnerability prioritization across the private sector. CISA enriches each entry with metadata including known ransomware campaign use, required remediation actions, due dates, and vendor advisory notes. The catalog's adoption by SOC 2 auditors, HITRUST assessors, and cyber insurance underwriters as a minimum patching standard solidified its role beyond federal compliance.
Key Analytics
Impact Analysis
The KEV catalog has continued to grow since the 1,000-entry milestone, exceeding 1,650 entries as of mid-2026, reflecting the escalating threat landscape and CISA's commitment to maintaining an actionable vulnerability priority list. Private sector organizations increasingly face audit and insurance requirements to demonstrate KEV remediation within 14-30 days. SOC 2 auditors use KEV compliance as evidence of effective vulnerability management. Cyber insurance carriers incorporate KEV patching cadence into underwriting risk models, with some requiring attestation of KEV compliance for policy renewal.
Recommended Actions
- Integrate CISA KEV catalog into your vulnerability management workflow as a mandatory remediation trigger
- Establish KEV-specific SLAs (14 days recommended) and track remediation metrics for audit evidence
- Verify that vulnerability scanning tools flag KEV entries and prioritize them above standard CVSS scoring
Always verify requirements with official regulatory sources.
Estimated Remediation Effort
Indicative effort to address this development, broken down by your organization's current compliance posture. Select the posture that best matches where you are today.
A partial program exists: some policies and controls are in place, but coverage, evidence, and ownership have gaps.
- ›Wire the KEV catalog into the existing remediation workflow as a trigger
- ›Set and enforce 14-day KEV SLAs with tracked remediation metrics
- ›Verify scanners flag KEV entries and prioritize them above CVSS ranking
The Cost of Waiting
Readiness work is dramatically cheaper before a deadline than after one. The ranges below come from the same estimate: the difference is only how prepared you are when the work starts.
Roughly 55 to 115 hours avoided by preparing early
Effort ranges are indicative planning estimates, not quotes. Actual effort depends on organizational scope, environment complexity, and evidence maturity. Talk to us for a scoped assessment.