CWE-1318 Base Incompleto

Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses

This vulnerability occurs when the communication channels (fabrics or buses) within a chip lack built-in or enabled security features, such as privilege separation or access controls, leaving data…

Definición

What is CWE-1318?

This vulnerability occurs when the communication channels (fabrics or buses) within a chip lack built-in or enabled security features, such as privilege separation or access controls, leaving data transfers unprotected.
Many on-chip communication systems, especially simpler or low-power designs, are built solely for moving data and lack interfaces to carry critical security attributes like privilege levels or device identity from a master component (like a CPU) to a slave (like a peripheral). Without these dedicated signals, the fabric cannot enforce security policies, making it unsafe for transporting any sensitive security metadata. Even when a bus specification includes optional security signaling, these features are often left unconnected or disabled when the hardware design is generated. Consequently, any peripheral that handles security-sensitive assets should not be connected directly to such a bus unless robust access control is implemented at an earlier point, such as a bridge or intermediary module, before transactions enter the insecure fabric.
Impacto en el mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1318

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

    Several systems on chips (SoCs) use the Advanced-Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA) Advanced-Peripheral Bus (APB) protocol. APB is a simple, low-power bus and uses the PPROT[2:0] bits to indicate the security state of the bus masters ;PPROT[0] indicates privilege, PPROT[1] indicates secure/non-secure transaction, and PPROT[2] indicates instruction/data. Assume that there is no fabric bridge in the SoC. One of the slaves, the power-management unit, contains registers that store the thermal-shutdown limits.

  2. 2

    The APB bus is used to connect several bus masters, each with a unique and immutable hardware identity, to several slaves. For a CPU supporting 8 potential identities (each with varying privilege levels), 16 types of outgoing transactions can be made--8 read transactions with each supported privilege level and 8 write transactions with each supported privilege level.

  3. 3

    Since APB PPROT can only support up to 8 transaction types, access-control checks cannot be performed on transactions going to the slaves at the right granularity for all possible transaction types. Thus, potentially, user code running on the CPU could maliciously corrupt the thermal-shutdown-configuration registers to burn the device, resulting in permanent denial of service.

  4. 4

    In this scenario, only peripherals that need access protection from 8 of the 16 possible transaction types can be connected to the APB bus. Peripherals that require protection from the remaining 8 transaction types can be connected to a different APB bus. Alternatively, a bridge could be implemented to handle such complex scenarios before forwarding traffic to the APB bus.

  5. 5

    The Open-Core-Protocol (OCP) fabric supports two configurable, width-optional signals for transporting security attributes: MReqInfo and SRespInfo. MReqInfo is used to transport security attributes from bus master to slave, and SRespInfo is used to transport security attributes from slave to bus master. An SoC uses OCP to connect several bus masters, each with a unique and immutable hardware identity, to several slaves. One of the bus masters, the CPU, reports the privilege level (user or super user) in addition to the unique identity. One of the slaves, the power-management unit, contains registers that store the thermal-shutdown limits.

Ejemplo de código vulnerable

Vulnerable pseudo

MITRE no ha publicado un ejemplo de código para esta CWE. El patrón siguiente es ilustrativo — consulta Recursos para referencias canónicas.

Vulnerable pseudo 
// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
  // Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
  return executeUnsafe(input);
}
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-1318

  • Architecture and Design If fabric does not support security features, implement security checks in a bridge or any component that is between the master and the fabric. Alternatively, connect all fabric slaves that do not have any security assets under one such fabric and connect peripherals with security assets to a different fabric that supports security features.
Señales de detección

How to detect CWE-1318

Architecture or Design Review High

Review the fabric specification and ensure that it contains signals to transfer security-sensitive signals.

Manual Static Analysis - Source Code High

Lack of security features can also be confirmed through manual RTL review of the fabric RTL.

Auto-corrección de Plexicus

Plexicus detecta automáticamente CWE-1318 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-1318?

This vulnerability occurs when the communication channels (fabrics or buses) within a chip lack built-in or enabled security features, such as privilege separation or access controls, leaving data transfers unprotected.

¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-1318?

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-1318?

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

¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-1318?

If fabric does not support security features, implement security checks in a bridge or any component that is between the master and the fabric. Alternatively, connect all fabric slaves that do not have any security assets under one such fabric and connect peripherals with security assets to a different fabric that supports security features.

¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-1318?

El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-1318 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-1318?

MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1318.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.

Debilidades relacionadas

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Recursos

Further reading

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