CVE stands forCommon Vulnerabilities and Exposures, making option C the correct answer. CVE is a standardized system used to identify, name, and catalog publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Each CVE entry is assigned a unique identifier, allowing security professionals worldwide to reference the same vulnerability consistently. Ethical hackers, system administrators, and security vendors rely on CVEs to track vulnerabilities, assess risk, and prioritize patching efforts.

Option A is incorrect because CVEs catalog vulnerabilities, not secure systems. Option B is incorrect because CVE is not a publication or magazine.

From an ethical hacking perspective, CVEs play a crucial role in vulnerability management and penetration testing. Ethical hackers reference CVEs to understand exploitability, identify affected systems, and demonstrate risk using documented evidence.

Understanding CVEs supports effective communication between security teams, vendors, and management. They are foundational to modern vulnerability scanning, patch management, and threat intelligence programs.