VAPT Severity Levels: Critical, High, Medium & Low

VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) is a security testing process. Think of it as a "health checkup" for your systems — experts try to find weak spots before real hackers do. Once they find problems, they don't fix them randomly — they rank them by danger level first. That ranking is what this blog is all about.

So we need a way to rank problems — which one to fix first, which one can wait.

That ranking system is called Severity Level.

When

Severity levels are assigned right after a vulnerability scan or penetration test is completed, during the reporting phase — before the fixing (remediation) phase begins.

Where

This applies anywhere systems are tested for security — web apps, mobile apps, servers, networks, cloud environments, and APIs. Any place a VAPT report is generated, severity levels show up.

Who

Security testers / ethical hackers — assign the severity during testing
Security teams / IT teams — use the severity to plan fixes
Management / compliance officers — use it to track risk and report to auditors

What is CVSS?

CVSS = Common Vulnerability Scoring System

It's a standard scorecard used worldwide.
Score range: 0.0 to 10.0
Its depend on Version which version you have to choice.

Severity Levels

CVSS Version History

CVSS is not a one-time thing — it has changed over the years to become more accurate. Two versions matter most: CVSS v2.0 and CVSS v3.0.

CVSS v2.0 (Older Version)

Only 3 levels of severity:

Low → 0.0 to 3.9
Medium → 4.0 to 6.9
High → 7.0 to 10.0

Problem with this version: High covered a huge range (7.0 to 10.0). A vulnerability scoring 7.1 and one scoring 10.0 were both just called "High" — even though a 10.0 is far more dangerous. This was too broad.

CVSS v3.0 (Newer, Better Version)

Added a 4th level to fix that gap:

Low → 0.1 to 3.9
Medium → 4.0 to 6.9
High → 7.0 to 8.9
Critical → 9.0 to 10.0 (new!)

Why this matters: Now the most dangerous vulnerabilities (9.0–10.0) get their own label — Critical — so teams know to drop everything and fix those first. High no longer hides the worst threats.

Key Differences at a Glance

v2.0 had 3 levels, v3.0 has 4 levels
v2.0's "Low" started at exactly 0.0, v3.0's "Low" starts at 0.1
v3.0 split the old "High" range into two: High (7.0–8.9) and Critical (9.0–10.0)
v3.0 gives much clearer priority — Critical = emergency, High = urgent, but not as extreme

Why does this ranking matter?

If you don't rank problems, you might waste time fixing a tiny issue while a huge hole stays open for hackers.

Good ranking helps a company:

✅ Know what to fix first
✅ Save time and money
✅ Lower the real risk
✅ Follow rules/compliance
✅ Become stronger against attacks overall

Best Practices

Fix Critical issues right away — no delay
Fix High issues fast, within a set deadline
Keep software and systems updated regularly
Test the system again and again over time
Hire experts to simulate real hacking attempts
Keep watching the system for new threats

Good cybersecurity isn't about fixing everything — it's about fixing the right thing first.

Now, dive in and make the most of your experience — happy exploring! 🚀✨ Enjoy the journey — happy learning! See you next time! 👋✨

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