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CSAF-VEX Alpha Details🔗

This document is intended to cover the changes made in the new release of alpha VEX files compared to the legacy VEX files. These changes are broken out by the three main CSAF VEX document sections: Document, Product Tree and Vulnerabilities.

Please Note: The alpha VEX files are still in a state of flux as we address known issues. We aim to keep this documentation in sync with the changes, but there may be times when the documentation and implementation are not aligned. If you have questions on any of these changes, please see How to Provide Feedback.

Document Section🔗

The new alpha VEX files include a few minor changes to the document section, outlined in the sections below.

Document Changes🔗

Title🔗

Previously, the document.title followed the format component:CVE title. The title in the alpha VEX files removed the component prefix. This decision was made to simplify the title and remove confusion when a CVE affects multiple components. 

# Example of legacy VEX title 
"title": "glibc: Integer overflow in memalign leads to heap corruption",

# Example of alpha VEX title 
"title": "Integer overflow in memalign leads to heap corruption",

Tracking🔗

The document.tracking object has two changes in the new alpha VEX files: the generator name has changed and the revision history has been simplified.

In the new alpha VEX files, the document.tracking.generator.engine.name now references the new service responsible for creating VEX files, "CSAF Generator". 

# Example of legacy VEX generator 
"generator": {
        "date": "2026-02-24T17:08:13+00:00",
        "engine": {
          "name": "Red Hat SDEngine",
          "version": "4.7.1"
        }
},

# Example of alpha VEX generator 
"generator": {
        "date": "2026-02-27T12:07:46+00:00",
        "engine": {
          "name": "CSAF Generator",
          "version": "1.0.3"
        }
},

The document.tracking.revision_history has also been updated in the new alpha VEX files. Previously, the revision history object implemented some logic to create a history of changes, which was neither accurate nor comprehensive of the historical changes to an individual VEX file. In the new alpha VEX files, there will only be one revision that represents the last generated version. 

# Example of legacy VEX revision history
"revision_history": [
  {
    "date": "2026-01-14T21:01:11.037000+00:00",
    "number": "1",
    "summary": "Initial version"
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-02-10T16:17:28+00:00",
    "number": "2",
    "summary": "Current version"
  },
  {
    "date": "2026-02-24T17:08:13+00:00",
    "number": "3",
    "summary": "Last generated version"
  }
],

# Example of alpha VEX revision history
"revision_history": [
  {
    "date": "2026-02-27T12:07:46+00:00",
    "number": "1",
    "summary": "Last generated version"
  }
],

Removed Document Objects🔗

The following optional objects were removed from the document section and will not be present in the new alpha VEX files:

  • document.distribution
  • document.lang
  • document.notes
  • document.references

Product Tree Section🔗

The product_tree section of VEX files includes the most significant changes between legacy VEX files and the new alpha VEX files.

Branch Removal🔗

In the product_tree section of a VEX file, legacy VEX files used to nest product_name objects under product_family branches and product_version objects under architecture branches, depending on the fix status of each. The new alpha VEX files remove any branch nesting. All product_name and product_version objects will only be nested under the parent vendor branch. 

# Example of legacy VEX branch nesting
 "branches": [
  {
    "branches": [
      {
        "branches": [
          {
            "category": "product_name",
            "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8",
            "product": {
              "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8",
              "product_id": "red_hat_enterprise_linux_8",
              "product_identification_helper": {
                "cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8"
              }
            }
          }
        ],
        "category": "product_family",
        "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8"
      }
    ],
    "category": "vendor",
    "name": "Red Hat"
  }
],

# Example of alpha VEX branch nesting
 "branches": [
  {
    "category": "vendor",
    "name": "Red Hat",
    "branches": [
      {
        "category": "product_name",
        "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.10.z",
        "product": {
          "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.10.z",
          "product_id": "rhel-8.10.z",
          "product_identification_helper": {
            "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8"
          }
        }
      },
    ]
  }
 ]

Product Changes🔗

The new alpha VEX files include three notable changes to product representation: products are now always represented with a minor version, the product naming convention has been modified for improved consistency and product variants have been eliminated for simplicity.

Product Granularity🔗

Previously, legacy VEX files only represented a product with a minor version when a fix was available. New alpha VEX files include representation for any supported minor version, regardless of fix status. This change is intended to provide better affectedness information for each support version of a product that may be impacted by a vulnerability.

In the example for CVE-2026-0861, the legacy VEX file only includes a single product_name entry to represent the status of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. 

# Example of legacy VEX RHEL 8 product representation
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8",
    "product_id": "red_hat_enterprise_linux_8",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8"
    }
  }
}

The alpha VEX file includes 5 product_name entries to represent the status of each supported version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. 

# Example of alpha VEX RHEL 8 product representation 
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.10.z",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.10.z",
    "product_id": "rhel-8.10.z",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8"
    }
  }
},
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2.0.z",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2.0.z",
    "product_id": "rhel-8.2.0.z",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.2"
    }
  }
},
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4.0.z",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4.0.z",
    "product_id": "rhel-8.4.0.z",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:8.4"
    }
  }
},
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6.0.z",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6.0.z",
    "product_id": "rhel-8.6.0.z",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:8.6"
    }
  }
},
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8.0.z",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8.0.z",
    "product_id": "rhel-8.8.0.z",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:8.8"
    }
  }
},

Product Naming🔗

Previously, legacy VEX files used different naming schemas based on the fix status of the product. The new alpha VEX files has standardized on a naming schema to improve consistency of a product's representation throughout the entire lifecycle of a VEX file.

By comparing the Openshift 4.18 in legacy VEX files for CVE-2025-12801 and CVE-2025-6176, you can see that the product_id changes format from "red_hat_openshift_container_platform_4" in an unfixed state to "9Base-RHOSE-4.18" in a fixed state. 

# Example of legacy VEX unfixed product name for CVE-2025-12801
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4",
    "product_id": "red_hat_openshift_container_platform_4",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4"
    }
  }
}

# Example of legacy VEX fixed product name for CVE-2025-6176
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.18",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.18",
    "product_id": "9Base-RHOSE-4.18",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.18::el9"
    }
  }
}

In new alpha VEX files for CVE-2025-12801 and CVE-2025-6176, the product_id value remains the same between fixed and unfixed states. 

# Example of alpha VEX unfixed product name for CVE-2025-12801
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "OpenShift Container Platform 4.18",
  "product": {
    "name": "OpenShift Container Platform 4.18",
    "product_id": "openshift-4.18",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.18"
    }
  }
}

# Example of alpha VEX fixed product name for CVE-2025-6176
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "OpenShift Container Platform 4.18",
  "product": {
    "name": "OpenShift Container Platform 4.18",
    "product_id": "openshift-4.18",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:openshift:4.18"
    }
  }
},

Product Variants🔗

The new alpha VEX files change how multiple product variants are represented. For RHEL products, only the 'appstream' variant will be represented. For other products that are based on RHEL, the RHEL base version will be represented like '::el8'.

# Example of legacy VEX product variants
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9)",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9)",
    "product_id": "CRB-9.7.0.Z.MAIN",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::crb"
    }
  }
},
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9)",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9)",
    "product_id": "AppStream-9.7.0.Z.MAIN",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream"
    }
  }
},
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9)",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9)",
    "product_id": "BaseOS-9.7.0.Z.MAIN",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::baseos"
    }
 }
},

# Example of alpha VEX product variants 
{
  "category": "product_name",
  "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.7.z",
  "product": {
    "name": "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.7.z",
    "product_id": "rhel-9.7.z::appstream",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "cpe": "cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9::appstream"
    }
  }
},

Component Changes🔗

In additon to the product representation changes, there are a few changes to component representation.

Component Naming🔗

A minor change was made to the component naming in the new alpha VEX files. The product_version.name and product.name fields for components will not include any version information, even when fixed in the new alpha VEX files.

# Example of legacy VEX component naming for unfixed component
{
  "category": "product_version",
  "name": "libxml2.src",
  "product": {
    "name": "libxml2.src",
    "product_id": "libxml2.src",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "purl": "pkg:rpm/redhat/libxml2?arch=src"
    }
  }
}

# Example of legacy VEX component naming for fixed component
{
  "category": "product_version",
  "name": "libxml2-0:2.9.13-10.el9_6.src",
  "product": {
    "name": "libxml2-0:2.9.13-10.el9_6.src",
    "product_id": "libxml2-0:2.9.13-10.el9_6.src",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "purl": "pkg:rpm/redhat/libxml2@2.9.13-10.el9_6?arch=src"
    }
  }
}

# Example of alpha VEX component naming for unfixed component 
{
  "category": "product_version",
  "name": "libxml2",
  "product": {
    "name": "libxml2",
    "product_id": "libxml2",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "purl": "pkg:rpm/redhat/libxml2?arch=src"
    }
  }
}

# Example of alpha VEX component naming for fixed component
{
  "category": "product_version",
  "name": "libxml2",
  "product": {
    "name": "libxml2",
    "product_id": "libxml2-2.9.13-10.el9_6",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "purl": "pkg:rpm/redhat/libxml2@2.9.13-10.el9_6?arch=src"
    }
  }
}

Architecture Removal🔗

In legacy VEX files, fixed components were represented multiple times for their different architectures. To reduce the total number of component and relationship entries, we have decided to remove architecture representation for components in both their name, product_id and purl. The only exception to this is for SRPM components, which will include a ".src" in the name and product_id and "arch=src" in the purl.

# Example of legacy VEX component architecture
{
  "category": "product_version",
  "name": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.aarch64",
  "product": {
    "name": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.aarch64",
    "product_id": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.aarch64",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "purl": "pkg:rpm/redhat/glibc@2.34-231.el9_7.10?arch=aarch64"
    }
  }
},
{
  "category": "product_version",
  "name": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.ppc64le",
  "product": {
    "name": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.ppc64le",
    "product_id": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.ppc64le",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "purl": "pkg:rpm/redhat/glibc@2.34-231.el9_7.10?arch=ppc64le"
    }
  }
},
{
  "category": "product_version",
  "name": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.x86_64",
  "product": {
    "name": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.x86_64",
    "product_id": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.x86_64",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "purl": "pkg:rpm/redhat/glibc@2.34-231.el9_7.10?arch=x86_64"
    }
  }
},
{
  "category": "product_version",
  "name": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.s390x",
  "product": {
    "name": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.s390x",
    "product_id": "glibc-0:2.34-231.el9_7.10.s390x",
    "product_identification_helper": {
      "purl": "pkg:rpm/redhat/glibc@2.34-231.el9_7.10?arch=s390x"
    }
  }
},

# Example of alpha VEX component architecture
# Note: Subject to change pending resolution of component version jiras 
{ 
  "category": "product_version", 
  "name": "glibc", 
  "product": { 
    "name": "glibc", 
    "product_id": "glibc-2.34-231.el9_7.10", 
    "product_identification_helper": { 
      "purl": "pkg:rpm/redhat/glibc@2.34-231.el9_7.10?arch=src" 
    } 
  }
},

Binary RPMs🔗

More information available soon

Vulnerabilities Section🔗

Finally, there were a few changes made the the vulnerabilties section of the new alpha VEX files.

Remediations🔗

A minor change to the vulnerabilites.remediations object was included in the new alpha VEX files. Product and component pairs that have a 'fixed' product status will no longer be listed under a category: workaround remediation object. Fixed product and componets will only be listed under a category: vendor_fix remediation object.

CVSS Score🔗

The new alpha VEX files simplify the representation of CVSS scores by eliminating the individual metrics, which are still represented in the vectorString. 

# Example of legacy VEX CVSS scores
"cvss_v3": {
  "attackComplexity": "HIGH",
  "attackVector": "NETWORK",
  "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
  "baseScore": 8.1,
  "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
  "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
  "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
  "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
  "scope": "UNCHANGED",
  "userInteraction": "NONE",
  "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
  "version": "3.1"
},

# Example of alpha VEX CVSS scores
"cvss_v3": {
  "version": "3.1",
  "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
  "baseScore": 8.1,
  "baseSeverity": "HIGH"
},

Removed Vulnerabilties Objects🔗

  • vulnerabilities.ids: Entire object has been removed
  • vulnerabilities.notes: Note objects of the summary category and the general category have been removed
  • vulnerabilities.references: References to legacy Bugzilla flaws have been removed from this section
  • vulenrabilities.release_date: Removed as this date is a duplicate value to vulnerabilities.discovery_date

How to Provide Feedback🔗

For any issues or questions you have, please file a jira issue with the following:

  • Project: SECDATA
  • Issue Type: Ticket
  • Component: ‘feedback-new-vex’
  • Description: The question or issue you wish to raise. Please provide a detailed explanation, the VEX file you are referencing and a specific example of the data.