CWE-1277 Base Draft

Firmware Not Updateable

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware product lacks a mechanism for users to install firmware updates, leaving known security flaws permanently unpatched.

Definition

What is CWE-1277?

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware product lacks a mechanism for users to install firmware updates, leaving known security flaws permanently unpatched.
When firmware cannot be updated, every security vulnerability discovered after manufacture becomes a permanent, unfixable flaw in the device. This exposes users to potential exploitation for the entire lifespan of the product—which could span decades—effectively locking in security risks. While network-level protections or monitoring can offer some external mitigation, they cannot address the core vulnerability within the device itself. This limitation places the long-term security burden entirely on the user and highlights a critical design failure in the product's lifecycle management.
Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1277

  • CVE-2020-9054

    Chain: network-attached storage (NAS) device has a critical OS command injection (CWE-78) vulnerability that is actively exploited to place IoT devices into a botnet, but some products are "end-of-support" and cannot be patched (CWE-1277). [REF-1097]

  • [REF-1095]

    A hardware "smart lock" has weak key generation that allows attackers to steal the key by BLE sniffing, but the device's firmware cannot be upgraded and hence remains vulnerable [REF-1095].

Wie Angreifer es ausnutzen

Angreiferpfad Schritt für Schritt

  1. 1

    Identifiziere einen Codepfad, der nicht vertrauenswürdige Eingaben ohne Validierung verarbeitet.

  2. 2

    Erzeuge eine Payload, die das unsichere Verhalten auslöst — Injection, Traversal, Overflow oder Logik-Missbrauch.

  3. 3

    Liefere die Payload über einen normalen Request aus und beobachte die Reaktion der Anwendung.

  4. 4

    Iteriere, bis die Antwort Daten preisgibt, Angreifer-Code ausführt oder Berechtigungen eskaliert.

Verwundbares Codebeispiel

Vulnerable Other

A refrigerator has an Internet interface for the official purpose of alerting the manufacturer when that refrigerator detects a fault. Because the device is attached to the Internet, the refrigerator is a target for hackers who may wish to use the device other potentially more nefarious purposes.

Verwundbar Other 
The refrigerator has no means of patching and is hacked becoming a spewer of email spam.
Sicheres Codebeispiel

Secure Other

Sicher Other 
The device automatically patches itself and provides considerable more protection against being hacked.
What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.
Präventions-Checkliste

How to prevent CWE-1277

  • Requirements Specify requirements to include the ability to update the firmware. Include integrity checks and authentication to ensure that untrusted firmware cannot be installed.
  • Architecture and Design Design the device to allow for updating the firmware. Ensure that the design specifies how to distribute the updates and ensure their integrity and authentication.
  • Implementation Implement the necessary functionality to allow the firmware to be updated.
Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-1277

Manual Analysis High

Create a new installable boot image of the current build with a minor version number change. Use the standard installation method to update the boot image. Verify that the minor version number has changed. Create a fake image. Verify that the boot updater will not install the fake image and generates an "invalid image" error message or equivalent.

Architecture or Design Review Moderate

Check the consumer or maintainer documentation, the architecture/design documentation, or the original requirements to ensure that the documentation includes details for how to update the firmware.

Manual Dynamic Analysis High

Determine if there is a lack of a capability to update read-only memory (ROM) structure. This could manifest as a difference between the latest firmware version and the current version within the device.

Plexicus Auto-Fix

Plexicus erkennt CWE-1277 automatisch und öffnet in unter 60 Sekunden einen Fix-PR.

Codex Remedium scannt jeden Commit, identifiziert genau diese Schwachstelle und liefert einen reviewer-ready Pull Request mit dem Patch. Keine Tickets. Keine Hand-offs.

Demo anfordern Plexicus kostenlos testen
Häufig gestellte Fragen

Frequently asked questions

Was ist CWE-1277?

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware product lacks a mechanism for users to install firmware updates, leaving known security flaws permanently unpatched.

Wie gravierend ist CWE-1277?

MITRE hat für diese Schwachstelle keine Exploit-Wahrscheinlichkeit veröffentlicht. Behandle sie als mittlere Auswirkung, bis dein Threat Model anderes belegt.

Welche Sprachen oder Plattformen sind von CWE-1277 betroffen?

MITRE lists the following affected platforms: Not OS-Specific, Not Architecture-Specific, Not Technology-Specific.

Wie kann ich CWE-1277 verhindern?

Specify requirements to include the ability to update the firmware. Include integrity checks and authentication to ensure that untrusted firmware cannot be installed. Design the device to allow for updating the firmware. Ensure that the design specifies how to distribute the updates and ensure their integrity and authentication.

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-1277?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-1277 bei jedem Commit. Bei einem Treffer öffnet unser Codex-Remedium-Agent einen Fix-PR mit korrigiertem Code, Tests und einer einzeiligen Zusammenfassung für den Reviewer.

Wo erfahre ich mehr über CWE-1277?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1277.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

Verwandte Schwachstellen

Weaknesses related to CWE-1277

CWE-1329 Parent

Reliance on Component That is Not Updateable

This vulnerability occurs when a product depends on a component that cannot be updated or patched to fix security flaws or critical bugs.

CWE-1310 Sibling

Missing Ability to Patch ROM Code

A system or System-on-Chip (SoC) lacks a mechanism to update its initial boot code stored in Read-Only Memory (ROM), permanently exposing…

Ressourcen

Further reading

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