diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/field_candidate.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/field_candidate.go
index 8fa7743f989..5c4f64a97cc 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/field_candidate.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/field_candidate.go
@@ -46,6 +46,16 @@ func (s fieldCandidateSet) add(candidates ...fieldCandidate) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s fieldCandidateSet) removeByValue(values ...string) {
+	for _, value := range values {
+		for candidate := range s {
+			if candidate.value == value {
+				delete(s, candidate)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (s fieldCandidateSet) clear() {
 	for k := range s {
 		delete(s, k)
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/field_candidate_test.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/field_candidate_test.go
index 9f55c9a118b..3ad001a491b 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/field_candidate_test.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/field_candidate_test.go
@@ -261,3 +261,33 @@ func Test_cpeFieldCandidateSet_uniqueValues(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.ElementsMatch(t, []string{"1", "2", "3"}, set.uniqueValues())
 
 }
+
+func Test_cpeFieldCandidateSet_removeByValue(t *testing.T) {
+	s := newFieldCandidateSet()
+	// should be removed
+	s.add(fieldCandidate{
+		value:                       "1",
+		disallowSubSelections:       true,
+		disallowDelimiterVariations: true,
+	})
+	s.add(fieldCandidate{
+		value:                 "1",
+		disallowSubSelections: true,
+	})
+	s.add(fieldCandidate{
+		value:                       "1",
+		disallowDelimiterVariations: true,
+	})
+	s.add(fieldCandidate{
+		value: "1",
+	})
+	// should not be removed
+	s.add(fieldCandidate{
+		value: "2",
+	})
+	assert.Len(t, s.values(), 5)
+
+	s.removeByValue("1")
+
+	assert.Len(t, s.values(), 1)
+}
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/generate.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/generate.go
index fbbd55665d7..7b82fd519c2 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/generate.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/generate.go
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ func candidateProducts(p pkg.Package) []string {
 			products.addValue(prod)
 		}
 	}
+	// it is never OK to have candidates with these values ["" and "*"] (since CPEs will match any other value)
+	products.removeByValue("")
+	products.removeByValue("*")
 
 	// try swapping hyphens for underscores, vice versa, and removing separators altogether
 	addDelimiterVariations(products)
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/generate_test.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/generate_test.go
index 3105b5ea0aa..f357e3e99cc 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/generate_test.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/common/cpe/generate_test.go
@@ -511,10 +511,12 @@ func TestGeneratePackageCPEs(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCandidateProducts(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
 		p        pkg.Package
 		expected []string
 	}{
 		{
+			name: "springframework",
 			p: pkg.Package{
 				Name: "springframework",
 				Type: pkg.JavaPkg,
@@ -522,6 +524,7 @@ func TestCandidateProducts(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: []string{"spring_framework", "springsource_spring_framework" /* <-- known good names | default guess --> */, "springframework"},
 		},
 		{
+			name: "java",
 			p: pkg.Package{
 				Name:     "some-java-package-with-group-id",
 				Type:     pkg.JavaPkg,
@@ -535,6 +538,21 @@ func TestCandidateProducts(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: []string{"itunes", "some-java-package-with-group-id", "some_java_package_with_group_id"},
 		},
 		{
+			name: "java-with-asterisk",
+			p: pkg.Package{
+				Name:     "some-java-package-with-group-id",
+				Type:     pkg.JavaPkg,
+				Language: pkg.Java,
+				Metadata: pkg.JavaMetadata{
+					PomProperties: &pkg.PomProperties{
+						GroupID: "com.apple.itunes.*",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: []string{"itunes", "some-java-package-with-group-id", "some_java_package_with_group_id"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "jenkins-plugin",
 			p: pkg.Package{
 				Name:     "some-jenkins-plugin",
 				Type:     pkg.JenkinsPluginPkg,
@@ -548,6 +566,7 @@ func TestCandidateProducts(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: []string{"some-jenkins-plugin", "some_jenkins_plugin", "jenkins"},
 		},
 		{
+			name: "javascript",
 			p: pkg.Package{
 				Name: "handlebars.js",
 				Type: pkg.NpmPkg,
@@ -555,6 +574,7 @@ func TestCandidateProducts(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: []string{"handlebars" /* <-- known good names | default guess --> */, "handlebars.js"},
 		},
 		{
+			name: "gem",
 			p: pkg.Package{
 				Name: "RedCloth",
 				Type: pkg.GemPkg,
@@ -562,6 +582,7 @@ func TestCandidateProducts(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: []string{"redcloth_library" /* <-- known good names | default guess --> */, "RedCloth"},
 		},
 		{
+			name: "python",
 			p: pkg.Package{
 				Name: "python-rrdtool",
 				Type: pkg.PythonPkg,