diff --git a/detector/vuls2/vuls2.go b/detector/vuls2/vuls2.go
index b20f761280..0af1478b5f 100644
--- a/detector/vuls2/vuls2.go
+++ b/detector/vuls2/vuls2.go
@@ -1038,19 +1038,24 @@ func pruneCPECriteria(c criteriaTypes.FilteredCriteria) criteriaTypes.FilteredCr
 //
 // Anything a CPE-only scan cannot evaluate — vulnerable=false
 // environment/hardware guards and other criterion types — is removed by a
-// prune pass first, so it never vetoes an AND (the historical
-// go-cve-dictionary behaviour existing users rely on).
+// prune pass first, so it can neither be matched nor veto the result
+// (reproducing the historical go-cve-dictionary behaviour existing users
+// rely on).
 //
 //   - Accepts.CPE.Exact (version-confirmed match) → exact tier
 //   - Accepts.CPE.VersionUnconfirmed (accepted, but no version confirmation)
 //     → vendor:product tier
 //
-// AND nodes require every relevant child to be satisfied and demote their
-// exact contributions when any leg holds only at vendor:product level (the
-// conjunction as a whole is then only vendor:product-confirmed); OR nodes take
-// any satisfied child as-is. A CPE source that carries no version data at all
-// (JVN) is reported at vendor:product regardless of the projected tier — that
-// is a source-semantics decision, kept here in vuls0.
+// AND and OR nodes are both folded as OR: a scanned CPE matching any single
+// leg satisfies the node. go-cve-dictionary treats every vulnerable=true CPE
+// in an applicability node as independently matchable, ignoring the AND/OR
+// operator, so a co-required product NVD happens to mark vulnerable=true
+// (e.g. the Xen hypervisor conjoined with the vulnerable kernel in
+// CVE-2021-28039) never vetoes the kernel leg. Existing users relied on this
+// flattening under go-cve-dictionary; keeping it here trades AND precision for
+// that compatibility, scoped to CPE detection only. A CPE source that carries
+// no version data at all (JVN) is reported at vendor:product regardless of the
+// projected tier — that is a source-semantics decision, kept here in vuls0.
 //
 // For a suppressed source (VulnCheck / JVN) a matched scanned CPE is dropped
 // when its part:vendor:product is in verifiedProducts — the products a verified
@@ -1104,29 +1109,31 @@ func walkCPECriteria(sourceID sourceTypes.SourceID, ca criteriaTypes.FilteredCri
 	}
 
 	// Pass 2: walk returns (satisfied, exact, vp) — whether the subtree
-	// holds, and the supporting scanned CPEs per confidence tier.
+	// holds, and the supporting scanned CPEs per confidence tier. AND is
+	// folded identically to OR (see the flatten note above): any single
+	// satisfied leg carries the node and contributes its matches at its own
+	// tier, so a co-required product the scan lacks never vetoes the result.
 	var walk func(c criteriaTypes.FilteredCriteria) (bool, []string, []string, error)
 	walk = func(c criteriaTypes.FilteredCriteria) (bool, []string, []string, error) {
-		satisfied := c.Operator != criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeOR
+		// Both operators are folded as OR (see the flatten note above), but
+		// validate anyway so an unsupported operator fails fast rather than
+		// silently taking the OR path — matching walkPkgCriteria.
+		switch c.Operator {
+		case criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeAND, criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeOR:
+		default:
+			return false, nil, nil, xerrors.Errorf("unexpected operator: %s", c.Operator)
+		}
+
+		var satisfied bool
 		var exact, vp []string
 
-		foldChild := func(childSatisfied bool, childExact, childVP []string) {
-			switch c.Operator {
-			case criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeOR:
-				if childSatisfied {
-					satisfied = true
-					exact = append(exact, childExact...)
-					vp = append(vp, childVP...)
-				}
-			case criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeAND:
-				if !childSatisfied {
-					satisfied = false
-					return
-				}
-				exact = append(exact, childExact...)
-				vp = append(vp, childVP...)
-			default: // unreachable: criteria operators are only AND / OR
+		fold := func(childSatisfied bool, childExact, childVP []string) {
+			if !childSatisfied {
+				return
 			}
+			satisfied = true
+			exact = append(exact, childExact...)
+			vp = append(vp, childVP...)
 		}
 
 		for _, child := range c.Criterias {
@@ -1134,7 +1141,7 @@ func walkCPECriteria(sourceID sourceTypes.SourceID, ca criteriaTypes.FilteredCri
 			if err != nil {
 				return false, nil, nil, xerrors.Errorf("Failed to walk criteria. err: %w", err)
 			}
-			foldChild(sat, ex, v)
+			fold(sat, ex, v)
 		}
 		for _, cn := range c.Criterions {
 			var exactMatched, vpMatched []string
@@ -1158,19 +1165,10 @@ func walkCPECriteria(sourceID sourceTypes.SourceID, ca criteriaTypes.FilteredCri
 				}
 				vpMatched = append(vpMatched, fs)
 			}
-			foldChild(len(exactMatched) > 0 || len(vpMatched) > 0, exactMatched, vpMatched)
+			fold(len(exactMatched) > 0 || len(vpMatched) > 0, exactMatched, vpMatched)
 		}
 
-		if !satisfied {
-			return false, nil, nil, nil
-		}
-		if c.Operator != criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeOR && len(vp) > 0 {
-			// A conjunction with a leg confirmed only at vendor:product
-			// level is only vendor:product-confirmed as a whole.
-			vp = append(vp, exact...)
-			exact = nil
-		}
-		return true, exact, vp, nil
+		return satisfied, exact, vp, nil
 	}
 
 	satisfied, exact, vp, err := walk(ca)
diff --git a/detector/vuls2/vuls2_test.go b/detector/vuls2/vuls2_test.go
index 5ebb054e03..29c8a0317f 100644
--- a/detector/vuls2/vuls2_test.go
+++ b/detector/vuls2/vuls2_test.go
@@ -10604,9 +10604,12 @@ func Test_postConvert(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			// Projection honours AND structure: a CVE whose configuration
-			// requires product A AND product B is not reported when only A was
-			// scanned (A's leg accepted, but B's leg did not).
+			// AND folds as OR in vuls0's CPE walk (go-cve-dictionary flatten
+			// compatibility): a CVE whose configuration requires producta AND
+			// productb is still reported when only producta was scanned.
+			// producta's leg accepts and carries the node at vendor:product;
+			// the co-required productb leg has no scanned CPE and does not
+			// accept, but no longer vetoes the result.
 			name: "cpe version-unconfirmed accept, unsatisfied AND",
 			args: args{
 				scanned: scanTypes.ScanResult{
@@ -10686,6 +10689,222 @@ func Test_postConvert(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 			},
+			want: models.VulnInfos{
+				"CVE-2025-0004": {
+					CveID:       "CVE-2025-0004",
+					Confidences: models.Confidences{models.NvdVendorProductMatch},
+					CpeURIs:     []string{"cpe:/a:vendor:producta:9.9.9"},
+					CveContents: models.CveContents{
+						models.Nvd: []models.CveContent{
+							{
+								Type:         models.Nvd,
+								CveID:        "CVE-2025-0004",
+								Title:        "title",
+								Summary:      "description",
+								SourceLink:   "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-0004",
+								Published:    time.Date(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+								LastModified: time.Date(1000, time.January, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+								Optional: map[string]string{
+									"vuls2-sources": "[{\"root_id\":\"CVE-2025-0004\",\"source_id\":\"nvd-api-cve\",\"segment\":{\"ecosystem\":\"cpe\"}}]",
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			// Companion to "unsatisfied AND": here the non-contributing AND
+			// leg is a vulnerable=false hardware guard, which pruneCPECriteria
+			// removes before the walk. The satisfied producta leg is reported
+			// at vendor:product. Unlike the vulnerable=true case above (which
+			// detects only because AND now folds as OR), this one detected
+			// even before the flatten — the guard never survived pruning.
+			name: "cpe version-unconfirmed accept, AND with vulnerable=false guard",
+			args: args{
+				scanned: scanTypes.ScanResult{
+					CPE: []string{
+						"cpe:2.3:a:vendor:producta:9.9.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
+					},
+				},
+				fsToOriginalCPE: map[string][]string{
+					"cpe:2.3:a:vendor:producta:9.9.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*": {"cpe:/a:vendor:producta:9.9.9"},
+				},
+				detected: detectTypes.DetectResult{
+					Detected: []detectTypes.VulnerabilityData{
+						{
+							ID: "CVE-2025-0009",
+							Vulnerabilities: []dbTypes.VulnerabilityDataVulnerability{
+								{
+									ID: "CVE-2025-0009",
+									Contents: map[sourceTypes.SourceID]map[dataTypes.RootID][]vulnerabilityTypes.Vulnerability{
+										sourceTypes.NVDAPICVE: {
+											dataTypes.RootID("CVE-2025-0009"): {
+												{
+													Content: vulnerabilityContentTypes.Content{
+														ID:          "CVE-2025-0009",
+														Title:       "title",
+														Description: "description",
+														Published:   new(time.Date(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)),
+													},
+													Segments: []segmentTypes.Segment{
+														{
+															Ecosystem: ecosystemTypes.EcosystemTypeCPE,
+														},
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+							Detections: []detectTypes.VulnerabilityDataDetection{
+								{
+									Ecosystem: ecosystemTypes.EcosystemTypeCPE,
+									Contents: map[sourceTypes.SourceID][]conditionTypes.FilteredCondition{
+										sourceTypes.NVDAPICVE: {
+											{
+												Criteria: criteriaTypes.FilteredCriteria{
+													Operator: criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeAND,
+													Criterions: []criterionTypes.FilteredCriterion{
+														{
+															Criterion: criterionTypes.Criterion{
+																Type: criterionTypes.CriterionTypeCPE,
+																CPE: new(ccTypes.Criterion{
+																	Vulnerable: true,
+																	CPE:        ccTypes.CPE("cpe:2.3:a:vendor:producta:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"),
+																}),
+															},
+															Accepts: criterionTypes.AcceptQueries{
+																CPE: criterionTypes.CPEAccepts{VersionUnconfirmed: []int{0}},
+															},
+														},
+														{
+															Criterion: criterionTypes.Criterion{
+																Type: criterionTypes.CriterionTypeCPE,
+																CPE: new(ccTypes.Criterion{
+																	Vulnerable: false,
+																	CPE:        ccTypes.CPE("cpe:2.3:h:vendor:hardware:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"),
+																}),
+															},
+														},
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			want: models.VulnInfos{
+				"CVE-2025-0009": {
+					CveID:       "CVE-2025-0009",
+					Confidences: models.Confidences{models.NvdVendorProductMatch},
+					CpeURIs:     []string{"cpe:/a:vendor:producta:9.9.9"},
+					CveContents: models.CveContents{
+						models.Nvd: []models.CveContent{
+							{
+								Type:         models.Nvd,
+								CveID:        "CVE-2025-0009",
+								Title:        "title",
+								Summary:      "description",
+								SourceLink:   "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-0009",
+								Published:    time.Date(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+								LastModified: time.Date(1000, time.January, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC),
+								Optional: map[string]string{
+									"vuls2-sources": "[{\"root_id\":\"CVE-2025-0009\",\"source_id\":\"nvd-api-cve\",\"segment\":{\"ecosystem\":\"cpe\"}}]",
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			// AND where neither vulnerable=true leg accepts (both reached via the
+			// part:vendor:product index but their version criteria did not accept —
+			// concrete mismatch or out of range upstream): the flattened OR fold
+			// finds no satisfied leg, so nothing is reported. Guards the AND->OR
+			// flatten against spuriously detecting when no leg actually matched.
+			name: "cpe no accepted criterion in AND, report nothing",
+			args: args{
+				scanned: scanTypes.ScanResult{
+					CPE: []string{
+						"cpe:2.3:a:vendor:producta:9.9.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
+					},
+				},
+				fsToOriginalCPE: map[string][]string{
+					"cpe:2.3:a:vendor:producta:9.9.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*": {"cpe:/a:vendor:producta:9.9.9"},
+				},
+				detected: detectTypes.DetectResult{
+					Detected: []detectTypes.VulnerabilityData{
+						{
+							ID: "CVE-2025-0010",
+							Vulnerabilities: []dbTypes.VulnerabilityDataVulnerability{
+								{
+									ID: "CVE-2025-0010",
+									Contents: map[sourceTypes.SourceID]map[dataTypes.RootID][]vulnerabilityTypes.Vulnerability{
+										sourceTypes.NVDAPICVE: {
+											dataTypes.RootID("CVE-2025-0010"): {
+												{
+													Content: vulnerabilityContentTypes.Content{
+														ID:          "CVE-2025-0010",
+														Title:       "title",
+														Description: "description",
+														Published:   new(time.Date(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)),
+													},
+													Segments: []segmentTypes.Segment{
+														{
+															Ecosystem: ecosystemTypes.EcosystemTypeCPE,
+														},
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+							Detections: []detectTypes.VulnerabilityDataDetection{
+								{
+									Ecosystem: ecosystemTypes.EcosystemTypeCPE,
+									Contents: map[sourceTypes.SourceID][]conditionTypes.FilteredCondition{
+										sourceTypes.NVDAPICVE: {
+											{
+												Criteria: criteriaTypes.FilteredCriteria{
+													Operator: criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeAND,
+													Criterions: []criterionTypes.FilteredCriterion{
+														{
+															Criterion: criterionTypes.Criterion{
+																Type: criterionTypes.CriterionTypeCPE,
+																CPE: new(ccTypes.Criterion{
+																	Vulnerable: true,
+																	CPE:        ccTypes.CPE("cpe:2.3:a:vendor:producta:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"),
+																}),
+															},
+														},
+														{
+															Criterion: criterionTypes.Criterion{
+																Type: criterionTypes.CriterionTypeCPE,
+																CPE: new(ccTypes.Criterion{
+																	Vulnerable: true,
+																	CPE:        ccTypes.CPE("cpe:2.3:a:vendor:productb:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"),
+																}),
+															},
+														},
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
 			want: models.VulnInfos{},
 		},
 		{
@@ -12625,7 +12844,9 @@ func Test_walkCPECriteria(t *testing.T) {
 			wantExact: []string{"cpe:2.3:a:vendor:product:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "cpe:2.3:o:vendor:os:2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "AND with a vendor:product leg demotes the whole conjunction",
+			// AND folds as OR (go-cve-dictionary flatten compatibility): each
+			// leg keeps its own tier instead of the conjunction being demoted.
+			name: "AND folds as OR: each leg keeps its own tier",
 			args: args{
 				criteria: criteriaTypes.FilteredCriteria{
 					Operator: criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeAND,
@@ -12636,10 +12857,14 @@ func Test_walkCPECriteria(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 				scanned: []string{"cpe:2.3:a:vendor:product:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "cpe:2.3:o:vendor:os:2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"},
 			},
-			wantVP: []string{"cpe:2.3:o:vendor:os:2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "cpe:2.3:a:vendor:product:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"},
+			wantExact: []string{"cpe:2.3:a:vendor:product:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"},
+			wantVP:    []string{"cpe:2.3:o:vendor:os:2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"},
 		},
 		{
-			name: "AND with an unsatisfied leg -> nothing",
+			// AND folds as OR: an unsatisfied co-required leg (e.g. the Xen
+			// hypervisor the scan lacks in CVE-2021-28039) no longer vetoes the
+			// satisfied leg — the matched product is still reported.
+			name: "AND with an unsatisfied leg still reports the satisfied leg",
 			args: args{
 				criteria: criteriaTypes.FilteredCriteria{
 					Operator: criteriaTypes.CriteriaOperatorTypeAND,
@@ -12650,6 +12875,7 @@ func Test_walkCPECriteria(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 				scanned: []string{"cpe:2.3:a:vendor:product:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"},
 			},
+			wantExact: []string{"cpe:2.3:a:vendor:product:1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*"},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "same scanned CPE in exact and vendor:product -> exact wins",