CD PROPOSAL: DIFFUNC (Interim Decision 8/24)

["Steven M. Christey" <coley@linus.mitre.org>]

Please vote on this pervasive content decision using the space
provided below.  This content decision is scheduled for Interim
Decision on August 24.

- Steve



Content Decision: DIFFUNC (Different Function, Different Vulnerability)
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VOTE:

(Member may vote ACCEPT, MODIFY, REJECT, or NOOP.)


Short Description
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Distinguish between components, systems, and executables that are
functionally different.


Rationale
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This is a pervasive content decision that provides high-level guidance
for distinguishing vulnerabilities in the CVE.  The definition of
"functionally different" is left vague, but refinements may be made
more explicit using other content decisions.


Examples
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Servers are functionally different than clients.  Mail servers are
functionally different than FTP or HTTP servers.  Unix is functionally
different than Windows NT.  A configuration problem related to
passwords is functionally different than a problem in the access
permissions of a file system.  A password is not functionally
different than a community name, a passphrase, or an NIS domain name
(though the services that *use* these "passwords" are functionally
different).