Confidence score calculation example

---
title: Confidence score calculation example
description: Example of calculating the confidence for a zero-day vulnerability based on its Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures \(CVE\) information.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/security-management/vulnerability-response-workspaces/vr-ws-cve-sample.html
release: australia
product: Vulnerability Response Workspaces
classification: vulnerability-response-workspaces
topic_type: reference
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Exposure assessment by CVE, Exploring exposure assessment, Explore the Vulnerability Assessment Workspace, Vulnerability Response Workspaces, Unified Security Exposure Management, Security Operations]
---

# Confidence score calculation example

Example of calculating the confidence for a zero-day vulnerability based on its Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures \(CVE\) information.

Following is an example of calculating the confidence score from the Common Platform Enumeration \(CPE\) information of **CVE-2019-5786**.

**Note:** To view the CPEs, you can group the Vulnerability column by vulnerability. For details on viewing the vulnerable software details, see [View vulnerable software details](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/security-management/vulnerability-response-workspaces/vr-ws-view-vul-software.md).

Following is a sample exposure assessment record:\[Omitted image "exp-ass-1.png"\] Alt text: Exposure assessment record.

Following is a sample discovery model:\[Omitted image "exp-ass-2.png"\] Alt text: Discovery model.

**How to calculate the confidence score**

The confidence score range is 0–1. Based on the CPE information, the confidence score is calculated using the following formula:

```
((BASE SCORE) + (publisher score) +(product score) + (version score) + (edition score) + (display name score)) / 100
```

=

```
((25) + (10) + (10)) / 100
```

=

```
45 / 100
```

=

```
.45
```

**Note:** To refer to the values used to calculate the confidence score, see [Confidence score reference tables for exposure assessment](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/security-management/vulnerability-response-workspaces/vr-ws-confidence-score-ref.md).

**Calculating confidence score when the software model is matched with the normalized discovery model**

If you are using the normalized discovery model, the additional information available for the software discovery model provides an enhanced confidence score. Following is the sample calculation:

Following is a sample normalized exposure assessment record. \[Omitted image "exp-ass-3.png"\] Alt text: Normalized exposure assessment record.

Following is a sample normalized discovery model.

\[Omitted image "exp-ass-4.png"\] Alt text: Normalized discovery model.

```
((BASE SCORE) + (publisher score) + (product score) + (version score) + (edition score) + (display name score)) / 100
```

=

```
((25) + (20) + (15) + (15) + (0) + (10)) / 100
```

=

```
85 / 100
```

=

```
.85
```

**Note:** To refer to the values used to calculate the confidence score, see [Confidence score reference tables for exposure assessment](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/security-management/vulnerability-response-workspaces/vr-ws-confidence-score-ref.md).