nvdlib
National Vulnerability Database CPE/CVE API Library for Python
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need programmatic access to NIST vulnerability data. The library has low install friction, permissive licensing, and no known vulnerabilities. The aging maintenance status (last commit 373 days ago) is a minor concern but not a blocker since the NVD API itself is stable. Requires Python 3.11.0+. Get a free NIST API key to avoid the 6-second default rate limit.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.11.0 or later.
- NIST NVD API key recommended for faster rate limiting (default is 6 seconds between requests).
- Low install friction with a single runtime dependency (requests).
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal obligations—suitable for commercial and private projects.
last release 2025-08-06 (373 days) · last repo commit 2025-08-06 · 115 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 169,221 downloads/mo, #10,426 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install nvdlib
import nvdlib
r = nvdlib.searchCVE(cveId='CVE-2021-26855')[0]
print(r.v31severity, r.v31score)- Whether the library supports all NVD API v2 parameters beyond the examples shown in the description.
- Current state of CPE search functionality and whether it reliably retrieves associated CVE IDs.
- Performance characteristics when querying large result sets or running repeated searches.
What it is and what it does
NVDlib is a Python wrapper around the NIST National Vulnerability Database API that lets you query CVEs and CPEs programmatically and work with the results as structured Python objects. It handles the HTTP communication with the NVD, parses responses, and enforces rate limiting according to NIST recommendations—6 seconds between requests by default, or faster with an API key. The library supports searching CVEs by ID, keywords, severity, CVSS score, publication date, and CPE name, as well as searching CPE records and retrieving associated vulnerability IDs.
The package is designed for developers who need to integrate vulnerability data into security tools, compliance workflows, or risk assessment pipelines. It abstracts away the details of the NVD API protocol and response format, letting you focus on the security logic. The built-in rate limiting means you can run queries without manually managing delays, though you'll need a free API key from NIST to get the faster rate.
Use it for
- Scan a list of installed packages against the NVD to identify known CVEs affecting your software supply chain.
- Build a security dashboard that retrieves and displays the latest high-severity vulnerabilities by keyword or CPE.
- Automate compliance checks by querying CVE severity scores and CVSS vectors for risk assessment reports.
- Integrate vulnerability data into a CI/CD pipeline to flag dependencies with critical security issues.
- Research a specific CVE by ID to pull its full description, severity rating, and affected CPE names.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need programmatic access to NIST vulnerability data.
The library has low install friction, permissive licensing, and no known vulnerabilities. The aging maintenance status (last commit 373 days ago) is a minor concern but not a blocker since the NVD API itself is stable. Requires Python 3.11.0+. Get a free NIST API key to avoid the 6-second default rate limit.
Install
nvdlib on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a single runtime dependency (requests). Maintenance status is aging—last commit was 2025-08-06, over 373 days from release, though the repository remains active and not archived.
Requires Python 3.11.0 or later. NIST NVD API key recommended for faster rate limiting (default is 6 seconds between requests).
License in practice
MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal obligations—suitable for commercial and private projects.
Quickstart
pip install nvdlib
import nvdlib
r = nvdlib.searchCVE(cveId='CVE-2021-26855')[0]
print(r.v31severity, r.v31score)Verify before relying
- Whether the library supports all NVD API v2 parameters beyond the examples shown in the description.
- Current state of CPE search functionality and whether it reliably retrieves associated CVE IDs.
- Performance characteristics when querying large result sets or running repeated searches.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.11.0 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagerequests |
| Maintenance | Aging 373 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 169,221 / month, #10,426 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: nvdlib-0.8.3-py3-none-any.whl
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See also cpe · cvss · cwe2 · pysnyk · uv-secure · pysentry-rs · ca9 · debsecan-mcp · pip-audit · python-nmap