diff --git a/syft/cataloger/cpe.go b/syft/cataloger/cpe.go
index 637cc2f86..52fb74c79 100644
--- a/syft/cataloger/cpe.go
+++ b/syft/cataloger/cpe.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package cataloger
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/anchore/syft/internal"
@@ -12,6 +13,17 @@ import (
 // this is functionally equivalent to "*" and consistent with no input given (thus easier to test)
 const any = ""
 
+func newCPE(product, vendor, version, targetSW string) wfn.Attributes {
+	cpe := *(wfn.NewAttributesWithAny())
+	cpe.Part = "a"
+	cpe.Product = product
+	cpe.Vendor = vendor
+	cpe.Version = version
+	cpe.TargetSW = targetSW
+
+	return cpe
+}
+
 // generatePackageCPEs Create a list of CPEs, trying to guess the vendor, product tuple and setting TargetSoftware if possible
 func generatePackageCPEs(p pkg.Package) []pkg.CPE {
 	targetSws := candidateTargetSoftwareAttrs(p)
@@ -31,18 +43,14 @@ func generatePackageCPEs(p pkg.Package) []pkg.CPE {
 				keys.Add(key)
 
 				// add a new entry...
-				candidateCpe := wfn.NewAttributesWithAny()
-				candidateCpe.Part = "a"
-				candidateCpe.Product = product
-				candidateCpe.Vendor = vendor
-				candidateCpe.Version = p.Version
-				candidateCpe.TargetSW = targetSw
-
-				cpes = append(cpes, *candidateCpe)
+				c := newCPE(product, vendor, p.Version, targetSw)
+				cpes = append(cpes, c)
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
+	sort.Sort(ByCPESpecificity(cpes))
+
 	return cpes
 }
 
diff --git a/syft/cataloger/cpe_specificity.go b/syft/cataloger/cpe_specificity.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1e927704b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/syft/cataloger/cpe_specificity.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package cataloger
+
+import "github.com/facebookincubator/nvdtools/wfn"
+
+type ByCPESpecificity []wfn.Attributes
+
+// Implementing sort.Interface
+func (c ByCPESpecificity) Len() int      { return len(c) }
+func (c ByCPESpecificity) Swap(i, j int) { c[i], c[j] = c[j], c[i] }
+func (c ByCPESpecificity) Less(i, j int) bool {
+	return countSpecifiedFields(c[i]) > countSpecifiedFields(c[j])
+}
+
+func countSpecifiedFields(cpe wfn.Attributes) int {
+	checksForSpecifiedField := []func(cpe wfn.Attributes) bool{
+		func(cpe wfn.Attributes) bool { return cpe.Part != "" },
+		func(cpe wfn.Attributes) bool { return cpe.Product != "" },
+		func(cpe wfn.Attributes) bool { return cpe.Vendor != "" },
+		func(cpe wfn.Attributes) bool { return cpe.Version != "" },
+		func(cpe wfn.Attributes) bool { return cpe.TargetSW != "" },
+	}
+
+	count := 0
+	for _, fieldIsSpecified := range checksForSpecifiedField {
+		if fieldIsSpecified(cpe) {
+			count++
+		}
+	}
+
+	return count
+}