Generated from the official FedRAMP/rules GitHub repo. Source path: fedramp-consolidated-rules.json on main at blob 7d628b63fdd9. Consolidated Rules version: 2026.07.02.02 · upstream last_updated: 2026-07-02. Supporting narrative documentation is available from the official FedRAMP/2026-markdown repository.

Vulnerability Evaluation and Reporting

Short name: VER · Process ID: VER · Web slug: vulnerability-evaluation-and-reporting

Applies to: both Status: stable

Official page: https://www.fedramp.gov/2026/reference/vulnerability-evaluation-and-reporting/

Effective Status

• 20x: required · Mandated by CISA BOD 26-04 · obtain 2026-12-07 · grace through 2027-03-07
• Rev5: required · Mandated by CISA BOD 26-04 · obtain 2026-12-07 · grace through 2027-03-07
• Shared requirements: 25

Purpose

The Vulnerability Evaluation and Reporting rules require cloud service providers to determine when vulnerabilities are likely to impact federal customers and report the status of such vulnerabilities to all necessary parties.

Rule Subsets

• AGM — Agency Guidance: These rules for agencies apply to all agencies using a FedRAMP Certification. · types: 20x, Rev5 · classes: B, C, D
• EVA — Evaluation: These rules apply to the evaluation of vulnerabilities. · types: 20x, Rev5 · classes: B, C, D
• FRP — FedRAMP Responsibilities: These rules apply to FedRAMP when setting expectations for specific cloud service providers. · types: 20x, Rev5 · classes: B, C, D
• RPT — Reporting: These rules apply to reporting related to vulnerability detection and response. · types: 20x, Rev5 · classes: B, C, D
• TFR — Timeframes: These rules apply to timeframes for vulnerability detection and response. · types: 20x, Rev5 · classes: B, C, D

Requirements and Recommendations

BOTH

VER-AGM-DRE SHOULD NOT — Do Not Request Extra Info

Agencies SHOULD NOT request additional information from cloud service providers that is not required by the FedRAMP Vulnerability Detection and Response rules UNLESS the head of the agency or an authorized delegate makes a determination that there is a demonstrable need for such.

Terms: Agency, FedRAMP Certified, Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Affects: Agencies

Note: This is related to the Presumption of Adequacy directed by 44 USC § 3613 (e).

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-AGM-MAP SHOULD — Maintain Agency Plans of Action and Milestones

Agencies SHOULD use vulnerability information reported by the Provider to maintain Plans of Action and Milestones for agency security programs when relevant according to agency security policies (such as if the agency takes action to mitigate the risk of exploitation or authorized the continued use of a cloud service with accepted vulnerabilities that put agency information systems at risk).

Terms: Accepted Vulnerability, Agency, FedRAMP Certified, Provider, Vulnerability

Affects: Agencies

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-AGM-NFR MUST — Notify FedRAMP

Agencies MUST notify FedRAMP after requesting any additional vulnerability information or materials from a cloud service provider beyond those FedRAMP requires by sending a notification to info@fedramp.gov.

Terms: Agency, Provider, Vulnerability

Affects: Agencies

Note: This is an OMB policy; agencies are required to notify FedRAMP in OMB Memorandum M-24-15 section IV (a).

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-AGM-RVR SHOULD — Review Vulnerability Reports

Agencies SHOULD review the information provided in vulnerability reports at appropriate and reasonable intervals commensurate with the expectations and risk posture indicated by their Authorization to Operate, and SHOULD use automated processing and filtering of machine readable information from cloud service providers.

Terms: Accepted Vulnerability, Agency, Potential Agency Impact, Provider, Vulnerability

Affects: Agencies

Note: FedRAMP recommends that agencies only review overdue and accepted vulnerabilities Potential Agency Impact N-rating > 2 unless the cloud service provider recommends mitigations or the service is included in a higher risk federal information system. Furthermore, accepted vulnerabilities generally only need to be reviewed when they are added or during an updated risk assessment due to changes in the agency’s use or authorization.

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-EVA-AIA MUST — Assume It’s Automatable

Providers MUST assume the exploitation of vulnerabilities can be automated UNLESS they have evidence proving otherwise.

Terms: Provider, Vulnerability

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-EVA-EFA SHOULD — Evaluation Factors

Providers SHOULD consider at least the following factors when considering the context of the cloud service offering to evaluate detected vulnerabilities:

Checklist items:

• Criticality: How important are the systems or information that might be impacted by the vulnerability?
• Reachability: How might a threat actor reach the vulnerability and how likely is that?
• Exploitability: How easy is it for a threat actor to exploit the vulnerability and how likely is that?
• Detectability: How easy is it for a threat actor to become aware of the vulnerability and how likely is that?
• Prevalence: How much of the cloud service offering is affected by the vulnerability?
• Privilege: How much privileged authority or access is granted or can be gained from exploiting the vulnerability?
• Proximate Vulnerabilities: How does this vulnerability interact with previously detected vulnerabilities, especially partially or fully mitigated vulnerabilities?
• Known Threats: How might already known threats leverage the vulnerability and how likely is that?

Terms: Cloud Service Offering, Fully Mitigated Vulnerability, Likely, Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-EVA-EFP SHOULD — Evaluate False Positives

Providers SHOULD evaluate detected vulnerabilities, considering the context of the cloud service offering, to determine if they are false positive vulnerabilities.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering, False Positive Vulnerability, Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-EVA-EIR MUST — Evaluate Internet-Reachability

Providers MUST evaluate detected vulnerabilities, considering the context of the cloud service offering, to determine if they are internet-reachable vulnerabilities.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering, FedRAMP Certified, Internet-Reachable Vulnerability (IRV), Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection

Affects: Providers

Note: FedRAMP focuses on internet-reachable (rather than internet-accessible) to ensure that any service that might receive a payload from the internet is prioritized if that service has a vulnerability that can be triggered by processing the data in the payload. The simplest way to prevent exploitation of internet-reachable vulnerabilities is to intercept, inspect, filter, sanitize, reject, or otherwise deflect triggering payloads before they are processed by the vulnerable resource; once this prevention is in place the vulnerability should no longer be considered an internet-reachable vulnerability. A classic example of an internet-reachable vulnerability on systems that are not typically internet-accessible is SQL injection, where an application stack behind a load balancer and firewall with no ability to route traffic to or from the internet can receive a payload indirectly from the internet that triggers the manipulation or compromise of data in a database that can only be accessed by an authorized connection from the application server on a private network. Another simple example is the infamous Log4Shell (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log4Shell) vulnerability from 2021, where exploitation was possible via vulnerable internet-reachable resources deep in the application stack that were often not internet-accessible themselves.

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-EVA-ELX MUST — Evaluate Exploitability

Providers MUST evaluate detected vulnerabilities, considering the context of the cloud service offering, to determine if they are likely exploitable vulnerabilities.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering, Likely, Likely Exploitable Vulnerability (LEV), Provider, Regularly, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection

Affects: Providers

Note: The simple reality is that most traditional vulnerabilities discovered by scanners or during assessment are not likely to be exploitable; exploitation typically requires an unrealistic set of circumstances that will not occur during normal operation. The likelihood of exploitation will vary depending on so many factors that FedRAMP will not recommend a specific framework for approaching this beyond these rules. The proof, ultimately, is in the pudding - providers who regularly evaluate vulnerabilities as not likely exploitable without careful consideration are more likely to suffer from an adverse impact where the root cause was an exploited vulnerability that was improperly evaluated. If done recklessly or deliberately, such actions will have a negative impact on a provider’s FedRAMP Certification.

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-EVA-EPA MUST — Estimate Potential Agency Impact

Providers MUST evaluate detected vulnerabilities, considering the context of the cloud service offering, to estimate the potential agency impact of exploitation on government customers AND assign one of the following Potential Agency Impact N-ratings (PAIN):

Checklist items:

• N1: Exploitation could be expected to have minimal customer effects on one or more agencies that use the cloud service offering.
• N2: Exploitation could be expected to have narrow customer effects on one or more agencies that use the cloud service offering.
• N3: Exploitation could be expected to have a disruptive customer effect on one agency that uses the cloud service offering.
• N4: Exploitation could be expected to have a debilitating customer effect on one agency that uses the cloud service offering OR a disruptive customer effect on more than one federal agency that uses the cloud service offering.
• N5: Exploitation could be expected to have a debilitating customer effect on more than one agency that uses the cloud service offering.

Terms: Agency, Cloud Service Offering, Debilitating Customer Effect, Disruptive Customer Effect, Minimal Customer Effect, Narrow Customer Effect, Potential Agency Impact, Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-EVA-GRV SHOULD — Group Vulnerabilities

Providers SHOULD evaluate detected vulnerabilities, considering the context of the cloud service offering, to identify logical groupings of affected information resources that may improve the efficiency and effectiveness of vulnerability response by consolidating further activity; FedRAMP Vulnerability Detection and Response rules are then applied to these consolidated groupings of vulnerabilities instead of each individual detected instance.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering, Information Resource, Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-FRP-ADV MAY — Sensitive Details

FedRAMP MAY require providers to share additional information or details about vulnerabilities, including sensitive information that would likely lead to exploitation, as part of review, response or investigation by necessary parties.

Terms: Likely, Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Response

Affects: FedRAMP

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-FRP-ARP MAY — Additional Requirements

FedRAMP MAY require providers to share additional vulnerability information, alternative reports, or to report at an alternative frequency as a condition of a FedRAMP Corrective Action Plan or other agreements with federal agencies.

Terms: Agency, Provider, Vulnerability

Affects: FedRAMP

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-RPT-AVI MUST — Accepted Vulnerability Info

Providers MUST include the following information on accepted vulnerabilities when reporting on vulnerability detection and response activity:

Checklist items:

• Provider’s internally assigned tracking identifier
• Time and source of the detection
• Time of completed evaluation
• Is it an internet-reachable vulnerability or not?
• Is it a likely exploitable vulnerability or not?
• Currently estimated Potential Agency Impact N-rating
• Explanation of why this is an accepted vulnerability
• Any supplementary information the provider determines will responsibly help federal agencies assess or mitigate the risk to their federal customer data within the cloud service offering resulting from the accepted vulnerability

Terms: Accepted Vulnerability, Agency, Cloud Service Offering, Federal Customer Data, Internet-Reachable Vulnerability (IRV), Likely, Likely Exploitable Vulnerability (LEV), Potential Agency Impact, Provider, Responsibly, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-RPT-HLO SHOULD — High-Level Overviews

Providers SHOULD include high-level overviews of ALL vulnerability detection and response activities conducted during this period for the cloud service offering; this includes vulnerability disclosure programs, bug bounty programs, penetration testing, assessments, etc.

Terms: Cloud Service Offering, Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-RPT-NID MUST NOT — Responsible Disclosure

Providers MUST NOT irresponsibly disclose specific sensitive information about vulnerabilities that would likely lead to exploitation, but MUST disclose sufficient information for informed risk-based decision-making to all necessary parties.

Terms: All Necessary Parties, Likely, Provider, Vulnerability

Affects: Providers

Note: This requirement will be superseded in the event of formal action related to an investigation or corrective action plan.

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-RPT-PER MUST — Persistent Reporting

Providers MUST report vulnerability detection and response activity (including persistent verification and validation) to all necessary parties persistently, summarizing ALL activity since the previous report; these reports are FedRAMP Certification Data and are subject to FedRAMP Certification Data Sharing rules.

Terms: All Necessary Parties, Certification Data, Persistently, Provider, Validation, Verification, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-RPT-RPD MAY — Responsible Public Disclosure

Providers MAY responsibly disclose vulnerabilities publicly or with other parties if the provider determines doing so will NOT likely lead to exploitation.

Terms: Likely, Provider, Responsibly, Vulnerability

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-RPT-VDT MUST — Vulnerability Details

Providers MUST include the following information (if applicable) on detected vulnerabilities when reporting on vulnerability detection and response activity, UNLESS it is an accepted vulnerability:

Checklist items:

• Provider’s internally assigned tracking identifier
• Time and source of the detection
• Time of completed evaluation
• Is it an internet-reachable vulnerability or not?
• Is it a likely exploitable vulnerability or not?
• Historically and currently estimated Potential Agency Impact N-rating of exploitation
• Time and Potential Agency Impact N-rating of each completed and evaluated reduction in Potential Agency Impact N-rating
• Estimated time and target Potential Agency Impact N-rating of next reduction in Potential Agency Impact N-rating
• Is it currently or is it likely to become an overdue vulnerability or not? If so, explain.
• Any supplementary information the provider responsibly determines will help federal agencies assess or mitigate the risk to their federal customer data within the cloud service offering resulting from the vulnerability
• Final disposition of the vulnerability

Terms: Accepted Vulnerability, Agency, Cloud Service Offering, Federal Customer Data, Internet-Reachable Vulnerability (IRV), Likely, Likely Exploitable Vulnerability (LEV), Overdue Vulnerability, Potential Agency Impact, Provider, Responsibly, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-TFR-EVU SHOULD — Evaluate Vulnerabilities Quickly

Varies by certification class:

• Class A SHOULD: Providers with Class A Certifications SHOULD evaluate ALL vulnerabilities as required by VER-EVA (Evaluation) within 14 days of detection.
• Class B SHOULD: Providers with Class B Certifications SHOULD evaluate ALL vulnerabilities as required by VER-EVA (Evaluation) within 7 days of detection.
• Class C SHOULD: Providers with Class C Certifications SHOULD evaluate ALL vulnerabilities as required by VER-EVA (Evaluation) within 5 days of detection.
• Class D SHOULD: Providers with Class D Certifications SHOULD evaluate ALL vulnerabilities as required by VER-EVA (Evaluation) within 2 days of detection.

Terms: Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-TFR-IRI VARIES BY CLASS — Internet-Reachable Incidents

Varies by certification class:

• Class A MAY: Providers with Class A Certifications MAY treat internet-reachable likely exploitable vulnerabilities where Potential Agency Impact N-rating > 3 as a FedRAMP Reportable Incident until they are partially mitigated vulnerabilities at N3 or below.
• Class B MAY: Providers with Class B Certifications MAY treat internet-reachable likely exploitable vulnerabilities where Potential Agency Impact N-rating > 3 as a FedRAMP Reportable Incident until they are partially mitigated vulnerabilities at N3 or below.
• Class C SHOULD: Providers with Class C Certifications SHOULD treat internet-reachable likely exploitable vulnerabilities where Potential Agency Impact N-rating > 3 as a FedRAMP Reportable Incident until they are partially mitigated vulnerabilities at N3 or below.
• Class D SHOULD: Providers with Class D Certifications SHOULD treat internet-reachable likely exploitable vulnerabilities where Potential Agency Impact N-rating > 3 as a FedRAMP Reportable Incident until they are partially mitigated vulnerabilities at N3 or below.

Terms: Agency, FedRAMP Reportable Incident, Incident, Likely, Likely Exploitable Vulnerability (LEV), Partially Mitigated Vulnerability, Potential Agency Impact, Provider, Vulnerability

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-TFR-MAV MUST — Mark Accepted Vulnerabilities

Providers MUST categorize any vulnerability that is not or will not be fully mitigated or remediated within 192 days of evaluation as an accepted vulnerability.

Terms: Accepted Vulnerability, Provider, Vulnerability

Affects: Providers

Structured timeframe: 192 days

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-TFR-MHR MUST — Monthly Activity Report

Providers MUST report vulnerability detection and response activity to all necessary parties in a consistent format that is human readable at least monthly.

Terms: All Necessary Parties, Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Affects: Providers

Structured timeframe: 1 months

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-TFR-MRH VARIES BY CLASS — Historical Activity

Varies by certification class:

• Class A MAY: Providers with Class A Certifications MAY make all recent historical vulnerability detection and response activity available in JSON format for automated retrieval by all necessary parties (e.g. using an API service or similar); this information MAY be updated persistently, at least once every month.
• Class B SHOULD: Providers with Class B Certifications SHOULD make all recent historical vulnerability detection and response activity available in JSON format for automated retrieval by all necessary parties (e.g. using an API service or similar); this information SHOULD be updated persistently, at least once every month.
• Class C SHOULD: Providers with Class C Certifications SHOULD make all recent historical vulnerability detection and response activity available in JSON format for automated retrieval by all necessary parties (e.g. using an API service or similar); this information SHOULD be updated persistently, at least once every 14 days.
• Class D SHOULD: Providers with Class D Certifications SHOULD make all recent historical vulnerability detection and response activity available in JSON format for automated retrieval by all necessary parties (e.g. using an API service or similar); this information SHOULD be updated persistently, at least once every 7 days.

Terms: All Necessary Parties, Persistently, Provider, Vulnerability, Vulnerability Detection, Vulnerability Response

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.

VER-TFR-NRI VARIES BY CLASS — Non-Internet-Reachable Incidents

Varies by certification class:

• Class A MAY: Providers with Class A Certifications MAY treat likely exploitable vulnerabilities that are NOT internet-reachable where Potential Agency Impact N-rating = 5 as a FedRAMP Reportable Incident until they are partially mitigated vulnerabilities at N4 or below.
• Class B MAY: Providers with Class B Certifications MAY treat likely exploitable vulnerabilities that are NOT internet-reachable where Potential Agency Impact N-rating = 5 as a FedRAMP Reportable Incident until they are partially mitigated vulnerabilities at N4 or below.
• Class C MAY: Providers with Class C Certifications MAY treat likely exploitable vulnerabilities that are NOT internet-reachable where Potential Agency Impact N-rating = 5 as a FedRAMP Reportable Incident until they are partially mitigated vulnerabilities at N4 or below.
• Class D SHOULD: Providers with Class D Certifications SHOULD treat likely exploitable vulnerabilities that are NOT internet-reachable where Potential Agency Impact N-rating = 5 as a FedRAMP Reportable Incident until they are partially mitigated vulnerabilities at N4 or below.

Terms: Agency, FedRAMP Reportable Incident, Incident, Likely, Likely Exploitable Vulnerability (LEV), Partially Mitigated Vulnerability, Potential Agency Impact, Provider, Vulnerability

Affects: Providers

Recent update: 2026-06-24 — Official launch of the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026.