Vulnerability
A weakness that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality integrity or availability.
Plain English
A flaw that an attacker could use to cause harm.
In context
Vulnerabilities may exist in code configuration design dependencies processes or human workflows.
Example
“The patch fixes a high-severity authentication vulnerability.”
When you'll hear this
- security review
- dependency management
- incident response
Common misunderstanding
A theoretical weakness needs context to determine actual likelihood and impact.
Also known as
security flaw
Commonly used by
Related terms
Updated: 2026-08-25
