This vulnerability occurs when an application protects sensitive information with encryption, but the specific algorithm or key strength used is too weak to withstand modern attack methods.
Using outdated or insufficient encryption—like short keys, deprecated algorithms (e.g., DES, RC4), or weak cipher modes—creates a false sense of security. Attackers can exploit this by running brute-force or cryptanalytic attacks to decrypt data with feasible computing power, potentially exposing credentials, personal data, or financial information. Identifying and upgrading weak encryption across a large codebase can be challenging. An ASPM platform like Plexicus not only detects these patterns through SAST/DAST but uses AI to generate specific remediation guidance, helping teams efficiently enforce strong cryptographic standards throughout their application portfolio.
Impact: Bypass Protection MechanismRead Application Data
An attacker may be able to decrypt the data using brute force attacks.