CWE-614 Variant Draft

Sensitive Cookie in HTTPS Session Without 'Secure' Attribute

This vulnerability occurs when a web application transmits sensitive cookies over an HTTPS connection but fails to set the 'Secure' attribute on those cookies.

Definition

What is CWE-614?

This vulnerability occurs when a web application transmits sensitive cookies over an HTTPS connection but fails to set the 'Secure' attribute on those cookies.
When a cookie is marked with the 'Secure' attribute, browsers guarantee it will only be sent over encrypted HTTPS connections. If this attribute is missing, even if the application initially uses HTTPS, the browser may inadvertently send the sensitive cookie over an unencrypted HTTP request. This often happens during redirects, when loading mixed content, or if a user manually types an HTTP URL, exposing session tokens or authentication data to interception. To prevent this, developers must explicitly set the 'Secure' flag for all cookies containing sensitive information in their application code. This is a critical server-side configuration that should be part of a standard secure cookie policy, alongside other attributes like 'HttpOnly' and 'SameSite'. Relying solely on HTTPS for the initial transmission is not sufficient; the 'Secure' attribute provides an essential enforcement layer at the browser level.
Vulnerability Diagram CWE-614
Cookie Without Secure Flag Browser cookie: session=… Connection Set-Cookie: session=abc (no Secure flag) (no HttpOnly) later: HTTP image src=… → cookie attached on http:// MITM on Wi-Fi steals session Without Secure, browsers send the cookie on plain HTTP — sniffable.
Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-614

  • CVE-2004-0462

    A product does not set the Secure attribute for sensitive cookies in HTTPS sessions, which could cause the user agent to send those cookies in plaintext over an HTTP session with the product.

  • CVE-2008-3663

    A product does not set the secure flag for the session cookie in an https session, which can cause the cookie to be sent in http requests and make it easier for remote attackers to capture this cookie.

  • CVE-2008-3662

    A product does not set the secure flag for the session cookie in an https session, which can cause the cookie to be sent in http requests and make it easier for remote attackers to capture this cookie.

  • CVE-2008-0128

    A product does not set the secure flag for a cookie in an https session, which can cause the cookie to be sent in http requests and make it easier for remote attackers to capture this cookie.

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 Java

The snippet of code below, taken from a servlet doPost() method, sets an accountID cookie (sensitive) without calling setSecure(true).

Verwundbar Java 
Cookie c = new Cookie(ACCOUNT_ID, acctID);
  response.addCookie(c);
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-614

  • Implementation Always set the secure attribute when the cookie should be sent via HTTPS only.
Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-614

Automated Static Analysis High

Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)

Plexicus Auto-Fix

Plexicus erkennt CWE-614 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-614?

This vulnerability occurs when a web application transmits sensitive cookies over an HTTPS connection but fails to set the 'Secure' attribute on those cookies.

Wie gravierend ist CWE-614?

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-614 betroffen?

MITRE lists the following affected platforms: Web Based.

Wie kann ich CWE-614 verhindern?

Always set the secure attribute when the cookie should be sent via HTTPS only.

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-614?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-614 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-614?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/614.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

Verwandte Schwachstellen

Weaknesses related to CWE-614

CWE-319 Parent

Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information

This vulnerability occurs when an application sends sensitive data, such as passwords or personal information, over a network connection…

CWE-1428 Sibling

Reliance on HTTP instead of HTTPS

This vulnerability occurs when an application uses unencrypted HTTP connections instead of the secure HTTPS alternative, even when HTTPS…

CWE-5 Sibling

J2EE Misconfiguration: Data Transmission Without Encryption

This vulnerability occurs when a J2EE application transmits sensitive data, like login credentials or session tokens, across a network…

Ressourcen

Further reading

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