CWE-1256 Base Estable

Improper Restriction of Software Interfaces to Hardware Features

This vulnerability occurs when a system's software interfaces to hardware features—like power, clock, or performance management—are not properly locked down. This allows attackers to misuse these…

Definición

What is CWE-1256?

This vulnerability occurs when a system's software interfaces to hardware features—like power, clock, or performance management—are not properly locked down. This allows attackers to misuse these interfaces from software to tamper with hardware memory or registers, or to gather sensitive data by observing physical side effects, without needing physical access to the device.
Many developers assume that attacks like fault injection or side-channel analysis require an attacker to physically touch the device. This assumption breaks down when software can directly control hardware features like voltage, clock speed, or power meters. Attackers can exploit these poorly restricted interfaces from a standard application to deliberately cause bit errors (faults) or to measure power consumption patterns, leading to privilege escalation, authentication bypass, or cryptographic key extraction. Common examples include abusing dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS) to induce faults, using hardware power meters (e.g., Intel RAPL) for side-channel analysis, or triggering Rowhammer-style bit flips via rapid memory accesses. Managing this at scale is difficult; an ASPM like Plexicus can help you track and remediate these hardware-interface flaws across your entire stack, correlating code patterns with potential runtime exploitation.
Impacto en el mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1256

  • CVE-2019-11157

    Plundervolt: Improper conditions check in voltage settings for some Intel(R) Processors may allow a privileged user to potentially enable escalation of privilege and/or information disclosure via local access [REF-1081].

  • CVE-2020-8694

    PLATYPUS Attack: Insufficient access control in the Linux kernel driver for some Intel processors allows information disclosure.

  • CVE-2020-8695

    Observable discrepancy in the RAPL interface for some Intel processors allows information disclosure.

  • CVE-2020-12912

    AMD extension to a Linux service does not require privileged access to the RAPL interface, allowing side-channel attacks.

  • CVE-2015-0565

    NaCl in 2015 allowed the CLFLUSH instruction, making Rowhammer attacks possible.

Cómo lo explotan los atacantes

Ruta del atacante paso a paso

  1. 1

    This example considers the Rowhammer problem [REF-1083]. The Rowhammer issue was caused by a program in a tight loop writing repeatedly to a location to which the program was allowed to write but causing an adjacent memory location value to change.

  2. 2

    Preventing the loop required to defeat the Rowhammer exploit is not always possible:

  3. 3

    While the redesign may be possible for new devices, a redesign is not possible in existing devices. There is also the possibility that reducing capacitance with a relayout would impact the density of the device resulting in a less capable, more costly device.

  4. 4

    Suppose a hardware design implements a set of software-accessible registers for scaling clock frequency and voltage but does not control access to these registers. Attackers may cause register and memory changes and race conditions by changing the clock or voltage of the device under their control.

  5. 5

    Consider the following SoC design. Security-critical settings for scaling clock frequency and voltage are available in a range of registers bounded by [PRIV_END_ADDR : PRIV_START_ADDR] in the tmcu.csr module in the HW Root of Trust. These values are writable based on the lock_bit register in the same module. The lock_bit is only writable by privileged software running on the tmcu.

Ejemplo de código vulnerable

Vulnerable Other

This example considers the Rowhammer problem [REF-1083]. The Rowhammer issue was caused by a program in a tight loop writing repeatedly to a location to which the program was allowed to write but causing an adjacent memory location value to change.

Vulnerable Other 
Continuously writing the same value to the same address causes the value of an adjacent location to change value.
Ejemplo de código seguro

Secure Other

Preventing the loop required to defeat the Rowhammer exploit is not always possible:

Seguro Other 
Redesign the RAM devices to reduce inter capacitive coupling making the Rowhammer exploit impossible.
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-1256

  • Architecture and Design / Implementation Ensure proper access control mechanisms protect software-controllable features altering physical operating conditions such as clock frequency and voltage.
Señales de detección

How to detect CWE-1256

Manual Analysis

Perform a security evaluation of system-level architecture and design with software-aided physical attacks in scope.

Automated Dynamic Analysis Moderate

Use custom software to change registers that control clock settings or power settings to try to bypass security locks, or repeatedly write DRAM to try to change adjacent locations. This can be effective in extracting or changing data. The drawback is that it cannot be run before manufacturing, and it may require specialized software.

Auto-corrección de Plexicus

Plexicus detecta automáticamente CWE-1256 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.

Solicitar demo Probar Plexicus gratis
Preguntas frecuentes

Frequently asked questions

¿Qué es CWE-1256?

This vulnerability occurs when a system's software interfaces to hardware features—like power, clock, or performance management—are not properly locked down. This allows attackers to misuse these interfaces from software to tamper with hardware memory or registers, or to gather sensitive data by observing physical side effects, without needing physical access to the device.

¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-1256?

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-1256?

MITRE lists the following affected platforms: Not OS-Specific, Not Architecture-Specific, Not Technology-Specific, Memory Hardware, Power Management Hardware, Clock/Counter Hardware.

¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-1256?

Ensure proper access control mechanisms protect software-controllable features altering physical operating conditions such as clock frequency and voltage.

¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-1256?

El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-1256 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-1256?

MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1256.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.

Debilidades relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-1256

CWE-285 Padre

Improper Authorization

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly verify whether a user has permission to access specific data or perform…

CWE-1230 Hermano

Exposure of Sensitive Information Through Metadata

This vulnerability occurs when an application protects the primary source of sensitive data but fails to secure the metadata derived from…

CWE-1297 Hermano

Unprotected Confidential Information on Device is Accessible by OSAT Vendors

This vulnerability occurs when a semiconductor chip does not properly secure sensitive data, making it accessible to third-party…

CWE-1328 Hermano

Security Version Number Mutable to Older Versions

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware system's security version number can be changed, allowing an attacker to downgrade or roll back…

CWE-552 Hermano

Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties

This vulnerability occurs when an application exposes files or directories to users who shouldn't have access to them.

CWE-732 Hermano

Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource

This vulnerability occurs when a system grants overly permissive access to a sensitive resource, allowing unauthorized users or processes…

CWE-862 Hermano

Missing Authorization

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to verify whether a user has permission to access specific data or execute certain…

CWE-863 Hermano

Incorrect Authorization

This vulnerability occurs when an application checks if a user is allowed to perform an action or access data, but the check is flawed or…

CWE-926 Hermano

Improper Export of Android Application Components

This vulnerability occurs when an Android app makes a component (like an Activity, Service, or Content Provider) available to other apps…

Recursos

Further reading

Listo cuando tú lo estés

Deja de pagar por desarrollador.
Empieza a cerrar el bucle.

Plexicus es el ASPM nativo de IA que escanea, filtra, corrige, pentestea y explica — de forma autónoma. Desarrolladores ilimitados, repos ilimitados, acciones de IA de uso justo. Nivel gratuito real, €269/mo anual cuando estés listo.

Comenzar gratis Reservar una demo