What is Exploit-DB (the Exploit Database)?
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Exploit-DB (the Exploit Database) is a public, freely available archive of exploits and proof-of-concept code maintained by Offensive Security. Each entry has a unique EDB-ID and is frequently cross-referenced to a CVE, helping defenders and researchers understand which vulnerabilities have working public exploit code.
What Exploit-DB is
Exploit-DB is a curated, public archive of exploits and proof-of-concept (PoC) code maintained by Offensive Security, the team behind Kali Linux and the OSCP certification. It is a CVE-compatible resource that collects submissions from security researchers worldwide.
Every accepted entry receives a unique identifier known as an EDB-ID. Many entries are also mapped to one or more CVE identifiers, which lets defenders connect a known vulnerability to the existence of public exploit code. Entries commonly include the affected software and version, the exploit type, the platform, and the original author.
How researchers and defenders use it
For defenders, the value of Exploit-DB is intelligence, not exploitation. The presence of a public exploit for a vulnerability is a strong signal that the issue is practically attackable, which raises its priority for patching and mitigation.
- Prioritization: confirming that public exploit code exists for a CVE helps rank remediation work above issues with no known exploit.
- Detection engineering: defenders study published PoCs in a controlled lab to build and validate detection signatures and rules.
- Patch validation: security teams verify, in authorized test environments only, that a deployed fix neutralizes the documented technique.
- Research and education: the archive documents the history of disclosed vulnerabilities and the techniques associated with them.
Relationship to CVE and Metasploit
Exploit-DB sits between the CVE catalog and operational tooling. A CVE is a standardized identifier and description of a vulnerability; an Exploit-DB entry may demonstrate that the vulnerability has working public exploit code. Not every CVE has an Exploit-DB entry, and not every Exploit-DB entry maps to a CVE.
Offensive Security historically maintained Exploit-DB alongside the broader exploit ecosystem, and many proof-of-concept entries correspond to techniques that are later packaged as Metasploit modules. Treat Exploit-DB as a research archive and a prioritization signal, and use any code strictly within authorized, lawful testing.
Keep exploring
- What is Metasploit?The penetration-testing framework that packages many exploits into modules.
- What is an exploit?The code or technique that takes advantage of a vulnerability.
- What is a proof-of-concept exploit?Demonstration code that proves a vulnerability is exploitable.
- What is a CVE?The standardized identifier that Exploit-DB entries cross-reference.
- What is the CISA KEV?The catalog of vulnerabilities known to be exploited in the wild.
- How to prioritize vulnerabilitiesUsing exploit availability as a signal for remediation order.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Exploit-DB free to use?
- Yes. Exploit-DB is a free, publicly accessible archive maintained by Offensive Security. It is intended for research, defense, and education, and its use is subject to applicable law and to authorization for any testing.
- What is an EDB-ID?
- An EDB-ID is the unique identifier assigned to each entry in Exploit-DB. It is distinct from a CVE identifier, although many entries reference one or more CVEs so the two can be cross-referenced.
- Does a CVE always have an Exploit-DB entry?
- No. Many CVEs have no public exploit in Exploit-DB, and some Exploit-DB entries are not linked to a CVE. The presence of an entry is a useful but not exhaustive signal of exploitability.
- Is it legal to use exploit code from Exploit-DB?
- Studying the archive is generally lawful, but running exploit code against any system without explicit authorization is illegal in most jurisdictions. Use the material only for defense, detection engineering, and authorized testing.