What is the purpose of including a CVSS score in a vulnerability assessment report?

Including a CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) score in a vulnerability assessment report serves primarily to aid in prioritizing remediation efforts based on the potential impact of the identified vulnerabilities. The CVSS score provides a standardized metric that quantifies the severity of a vulnerability, taking into account factors such as exploitability, impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and the potential for widespread harm.

By categorizing vulnerabilities according to their risk level, organizations can effectively allocate resources and focus on addressing the most critical vulnerabilities first, which helps to mitigate the overall risk to their systems. For example, a vulnerability with a high CVSS score represents a more significant threat, warranting immediate attention, while those with lower scores may be scheduled for future consideration.

Other options do not directly relate to the primary purpose of the CVSS score. Validating vulnerabilities through penetration testing, researching mitigation techniques, and finding software patches are important activities in vulnerability management, but they do not reflect the scoring system's main function, which is focused on risk assessment and prioritization.