CWE-451 Class Draft

User Interface (UI) Misrepresentation of Critical Information

This vulnerability occurs when a user interface fails to accurately display or highlight crucial information, potentially misleading users about the true state of the system or the source of data.…

Definition

What is CWE-451?

This vulnerability occurs when a user interface fails to accurately display or highlight crucial information, potentially misleading users about the true state of the system or the source of data. Attackers exploit this weakness to trick users into performing unintended actions, often as part of phishing campaigns or other deception-based attacks.
When an application's UI misrepresents critical data—whether by showing incorrect information, obscuring it, or spoofing its origin—it breaks the user's trust in the interface. This can lead directly to security failures, such as users approving dangerous transactions, downloading malicious files, or ignoring genuine security alerts because they appear untrustworthy. Essentially, if the user cannot rely on what they see, they become vulnerable to manipulation. Common attack methods include overlaying fake elements over legitimate ones (clickjacking), manipulating file icons to hide dangerous extensions, exploiting race conditions to show false status indicators, or using visual tricks like character homographs in URLs. Developers must treat the UI as a critical security layer, ensuring it consistently and clearly communicates the true system state, source of information, and potential risks without ambiguity or omission.
Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-451

  • CVE-2004-2227

    Web browser's filename selection dialog only shows the beginning portion of long filenames, which can trick users into launching executables with dangerous extensions.

  • CVE-2001-0398

    Attachment with many spaces in filename bypasses "dangerous content" warning and uses different icon. Likely resultant.

  • CVE-2001-0643

    Misrepresentation and equivalence issue.

  • CVE-2005-0593

    Lock spoofing from several different weaknesses.

  • CVE-2004-1104

    Incorrect indicator: web browser can be tricked into presenting the wrong URL

  • CVE-2005-0143

    Incorrect indicator: Lock icon displayed when an insecure page loads a binary file loaded from a trusted site.

  • CVE-2005-0144

    Incorrect indicator: Secure "lock" icon is presented for one channel, while an insecure page is being simultaneously loaded in another channel.

  • CVE-2004-0761

    Incorrect indicator: Certain redirect sequences cause security lock icon to appear in web browser, even when page is not encrypted.

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 pseudo

MITRE hat kein Codebeispiel für diese CWE veröffentlicht. Das untenstehende Muster ist illustrativ — kanonische Referenzen findest du unter Ressourcen.

Verwundbar pseudo 
// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
  // Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
  return executeUnsafe(input);
}
Sicheres Codebeispiel

Secure pseudo

Sicher pseudo 
// Validate, sanitize, or use a safe API before reaching the sink.
function handleRequest(input) {
  const safe = validateAndEscape(input);
  return executeWithGuards(safe);
}
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-451

  • Implementation Perform data validation (e.g. syntax, length, etc.) before interpreting the data.
  • Architecture and Design Create a strategy for presenting information, and plan for how to display unusual characters.
Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-451

SAST High

Führe statische Analyse (SAST) auf der Codebasis aus und suche im Datenfluss nach dem unsicheren Muster.

DAST Moderate

Führe dynamische Application-Security-Tests gegen den Live-Endpoint aus.

Runtime Moderate

Beobachte Runtime-Logs auf ungewöhnliche Exception-Traces, fehlerhafte Eingaben oder Versuche, Autorisierung zu umgehen.

Code review Moderate

Code Review: Markiere jeden neuen Code, der Eingaben von dieser Oberfläche ohne validierte Framework-Helper verarbeitet.

Plexicus Auto-Fix

Plexicus erkennt CWE-451 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-451?

This vulnerability occurs when a user interface fails to accurately display or highlight crucial information, potentially misleading users about the true state of the system or the source of data. Attackers exploit this weakness to trick users into performing unintended actions, often as part of phishing campaigns or other deception-based attacks.

Wie gravierend ist CWE-451?

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-451 betroffen?

MITRE hat für diese CWE keine betroffenen Plattformen spezifiziert — sie kann in den meisten Anwendungs-Stacks auftreten.

Wie kann ich CWE-451 verhindern?

Perform data validation (e.g. syntax, length, etc.) before interpreting the data. Create a strategy for presenting information, and plan for how to display unusual characters.

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-451?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-451 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-451?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/451.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

Verwandte Schwachstellen

Weaknesses related to CWE-451

CWE-684 Parent

Incorrect Provision of Specified Functionality

This weakness occurs when software behaves differently than its documented specifications, which can mislead users and create security…

CWE-1245 Sibling

Improper Finite State Machines (FSMs) in Hardware Logic

This vulnerability occurs when hardware logic contains flawed Finite State Machines (FSMs). Attackers can exploit these design errors to…

CWE-392 Sibling

Missing Report of Error Condition

This vulnerability occurs when a system fails to properly signal that an error has happened. Instead of returning a clear error code,…

CWE-393 Sibling

Return of Wrong Status Code

This vulnerability occurs when a function returns an inaccurate status code or value that misrepresents the actual outcome of an…

CWE-440 Sibling

Expected Behavior Violation

This weakness occurs when a software component, such as a function, API, or feature, fails to act as documented or intended. The system's…

CWE-446 Sibling

UI Discrepancy for Security Feature

This vulnerability occurs when a user interface incorrectly displays a security feature as active or properly configured, misleading users…

CWE-912 Sibling

Hidden Functionality

Hidden functionality refers to undocumented features, commands, or code within a product that are not part of its official specification…

CWE-346 Peer

Origin Validation Error

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly confirm the true origin of incoming data or communication, allowing…

CWE-1007 Child

Insufficient Visual Distinction of Homoglyphs Presented to User

This vulnerability occurs when an application shows text or symbols to users without clearly distinguishing between characters that look…

Ressourcen

Further reading

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