Software versioning is the practice of assigning identifiers to software releases so teams can distinguish builds and track how they change over time. Version numbers or other release identifiers help connect source code, product updates, documentation, and support records.
In cybersecurity, accurate versioning helps determine which products or deployments contain a vulnerability, whether a fix applies, and which customers need an update. Attackers may target systems running older, vulnerable releases; defenders use inventories and release histories to identify exposure, test patches, and verify remediation. For connected products, keeping version records current also supports vulnerability response and demonstrates that security updates can be traced across the product lifecycle.