The NVD (National Vulnerability Database) is a database maintained by the US NIST that catalogs publicly known vulnerabilities (CVEs) with standardized severity scores (CVSS), affected products (CPE), and references to patches. The NVD is the most widely used source for vulnerability information worldwide. For your vulnerability management, it provides the data foundation to identify affected systems and prioritize patches. Many vulnerability scanners automatically cross-reference their findings with the NVD. Note that the NVD can experience processing delays, so you should also monitor supplementary sources such as vendor advisories.