diff --git a/tern/analyze/passthrough.py b/tern/analyze/passthrough.py
index ec78ba29..caabf9e5 100644
--- a/tern/analyze/passthrough.py
+++ b/tern/analyze/passthrough.py
@@ -68,14 +68,26 @@ def execute_external_command(layer_obj, command, is_sudo=False):
     origin_layer = 'Layer: ' + layer_obj.fs_hash[:10]
     result, error = rootfs.shell_command(is_sudo, command)
     if error:
-        logger.error("Error in executing external command: %s", str(error))
+        msg = error.decode('utf-8')
+        logger.error("Error in executing external command: %s", msg)
         layer_obj.origins.add_notice_to_origins(origin_layer, Notice(
-            str(error), 'error'))
+            msg, 'error'))
         return False
-    layer_obj.analyzed_output = result.decode()
+    layer_obj.analyzed_output = result.decode('utf-8')
     return True
 
 
+def execute_and_pass(layer_obj, command, is_sudo=False):
+    '''Similar to execute_external_command, but the results and the errors
+    are stored together in layer_obj's analyzed_output property to be
+    post-processed. The result and error will be separated by two new line
+    characters \n\n'''
+    full_cmd = get_filesystem_command(layer_obj, command)
+    result, error = rootfs.shell_command(is_sudo, full_cmd)
+    layer_obj.analyzed_output = error.decode(
+        'utf-8') + '\n\n' + result.decode('utf-8')
+
+
 def run_on_image(image_obj, command, is_sudo=False, redo=False):
     '''Given an Image object, for each layer, run the given command on the
     layer filesystem.
diff --git a/tern/extensions/cve_bin_tool/executor.py b/tern/extensions/cve_bin_tool/executor.py
index 55ee9296..47553822 100644
--- a/tern/extensions/cve_bin_tool/executor.py
+++ b/tern/extensions/cve_bin_tool/executor.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 """
 
 import logging
-import sys
 
 from tern.analyze import passthrough
 from tern.extensions.executor import Executor
@@ -25,13 +24,12 @@ class CveBinTool(Executor):
     '''Execute cve-bin-tool'''
     def execute(self, image_obj, redo=False):
         '''Execution should be:
-            cve-bin-tool -u now /path/to/directory
+            cve-bin-tool -x -u now /path/to/directory
         '''
-        command = 'cve-bin-tool -u now'
-        # run the command against the image filesystems
-        if not passthrough.run_on_image(image_obj, command, True, redo=redo):
-            logger.error("cve-bin-tool error")
-            sys.exit(1)
-        # for now we just print the results for each layer
+        command = 'cve-bin-tool -x -u now'
         for layer in image_obj.layers:
+            # execute the command for each layer
+            logger.debug("Analyzing layer %s", layer.fs_hash[:10])
+            passthrough.execute_and_pass(layer, command, True)
+            # for now we just print the results for each layer
             print(layer.analyzed_output)