CWE-1248 Base Incompleto

Semiconductor Defects in Hardware Logic with Security-Sensitive Implications

A security-critical hardware component contains physical flaws in its semiconductor material, which can cause it to malfunction and undermine its security features.

Definición

What is CWE-1248?

A security-critical hardware component contains physical flaws in its semiconductor material, which can cause it to malfunction and undermine its security features.
Semiconductor defects are physical imperfections in a chip that can arise from manufacturing errors, material aging, or operation under extreme stress. Common causes include failures in the packaging, wire bonds, metal layers (like corrosion or electromigration), or the silicon oxide layer itself. These defects typically force specific internal signals, inputs, or outputs to become permanently stuck at a logical high (1) or low (0) state, preventing them from switching correctly. When these stuck-at faults occur within a hardware module responsible for security functions—such as encryption, secure boot, or key storage—the module can no longer operate as designed. This failure can directly compromise the device's security objectives, allowing for bypasses, data leakage, or a complete loss of security guarantees. Understanding these failure modes is crucial for designing robust hardware with appropriate safeguards and testing.
Impacto en el mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1248

Todavía no hay CVEs públicos enlazados a esta CWE en el catálogo de MITRE.

Cómo lo explotan los atacantes

Ruta del atacante paso a paso

  1. 1

    Identifica una ruta de código que maneje entrada no confiable sin validación.

  2. 2

    Crea un payload que ejercite el comportamiento inseguro — inyección, traversal, overflow o abuso de lógica.

  3. 3

    Envía el payload a través de una solicitud normal y observa la reacción de la aplicación.

  4. 4

    Itera hasta que la respuesta filtre datos, ejecute código del atacante o escale privilegios.

Ejemplo de código vulnerable

Vulnerable Other

The network-on-chip implements a firewall for access control to peripherals from all IP cores capable of mastering transactions.

Vulnerable Other 
A manufacturing defect in this logic manifests itself as a logical fault, which always sets the output of the filter to "allow" access.
Ejemplo de código seguro

Secure pseudo

Seguro 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.
Lista de prevención

How to prevent CWE-1248

  • Testing While semiconductor-manufacturing companies implement several mechanisms to continuously improve the semiconductor manufacturing process to ensure reduction of defects, some defects can only be fixed after manufacturing. Post-manufacturing testing of silicon die is critical. Fault models such as stuck-at-0 or stuck-at-1 must be used to develop post-manufacturing test cases and achieve good coverage. Once the silicon packaging is done, extensive post-silicon testing must be performed to ensure that hardware logic implementing security functionalities is defect-free.
  • Operation Operating the hardware outside device specification, such as at extremely high temperatures, voltage, etc., accelerates semiconductor degradation and results in defects. When these defects manifest as faults in security-critical, hardware modules, it results in compromise of security guarantees. Thus, operating the device within the specification is important.
Señales de detección

How to detect CWE-1248

SAST High

Ejecuta análisis estático (SAST) sobre el código buscando el patrón inseguro en el flujo de datos.

DAST Moderate

Ejecuta pruebas dinámicas de seguridad de aplicaciones (DAST) contra el endpoint en vivo.

Runtime Moderate

Vigila los logs en tiempo de ejecución para detectar trazas de excepción inusuales, entradas malformadas o intentos de bypass de autorización.

Code review Moderate

Revisión de código: marca cualquier código nuevo que maneje entrada desde esta superficie sin usar los helpers validados del framework.

Auto-corrección de Plexicus

Plexicus detecta automáticamente CWE-1248 y abre un PR de corrección en menos de 60 segundos.

Codex Remedium escanea cada commit, identifica esta debilidad concreta y entrega un pull request listo para revisión con el parche. Sin tickets. Sin traspasos.

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Preguntas frecuentes

Frequently asked questions

¿Qué es CWE-1248?

A security-critical hardware component contains physical flaws in its semiconductor material, which can cause it to malfunction and undermine its security features.

¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-1248?

MITRE no ha publicado una calificación de probabilidad de explotación para esta debilidad. Trátala como de impacto medio hasta que tu modelo de amenazas demuestre lo contrario.

¿Qué lenguajes o plataformas se ven afectados por CWE-1248?

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

¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-1248?

While semiconductor-manufacturing companies implement several mechanisms to continuously improve the semiconductor manufacturing process to ensure reduction of defects, some defects can only be fixed after manufacturing. Post-manufacturing testing of silicon die is critical. Fault models such as stuck-at-0 or stuck-at-1 must be used to develop post-manufacturing test cases and achieve good coverage. Once the silicon packaging is done, extensive post-silicon testing must be performed to ensure…

¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-1248?

El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-1248 en cada commit. Cuando hay coincidencia, nuestro agente Codex Remedium abre un PR de corrección con el código corregido, las pruebas y un resumen de una línea para el revisor.

¿Dónde puedo aprender más sobre CWE-1248?

MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1248.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.

Debilidades relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-1248

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Recursos

Further reading

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