CWE-278 Variante Incompleto

Insecure Preserved Inherited Permissions

This vulnerability occurs when a software product copies or extracts files while unintentionally preserving insecure permissions from their original source, such as an archive, without the user's…

Definición

What is CWE-278?

This vulnerability occurs when a software product copies or extracts files while unintentionally preserving insecure permissions from their original source, such as an archive, without the user's knowledge or consent.
When a program extracts files from an archive (like a ZIP or TAR file) or copies them from another location, it often replicates the original file permissions or access rights. If those source permissions are overly permissive—for example, allowing any user to read or modify sensitive files—this insecure configuration is silently carried over to the new system. The user or administrator is typically unaware this has happened, creating a hidden security gap where protected data could be exposed or altered. To prevent this, developers should ensure their file operations explicitly set secure, context-appropriate permissions during extraction or copying, rather than blindly inheriting them. This involves stripping or resetting permissions by default and providing clear logging or user prompts when risky permissions are detected. Implementing these safeguards closes the window where an attacker could exploit preserved access rights from a seemingly harmless file transfer.
Impacto en el mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-278

  • CVE-2005-1724

    Does not obey specified permissions when exporting.

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 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-278

  • Architecture and Design / Operation Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
  • Architecture and Design Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
Señales de detección

How to detect CWE-278

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-278 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-278?

This vulnerability occurs when a software product copies or extracts files while unintentionally preserving insecure permissions from their original source, such as an archive, without the user's knowledge or consent.

¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-278?

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-278?

MITRE no ha especificado plataformas afectadas para esta CWE — puede aplicar a la mayoría de los stacks de aplicaciones.

¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-278?

Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software. Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and…

¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-278?

El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-278 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-278?

MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/278.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.

Debilidades relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-278

CWE-732 Padre

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-1004 Hermano

Sensitive Cookie Without 'HttpOnly' Flag

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores sensitive data in a cookie but fails to set the 'HttpOnly' flag, leaving the cookie…

CWE-276 Hermano

Incorrect Default Permissions

This vulnerability occurs when software installation scripts set overly permissive file or directory access rights by default. Instead of…

CWE-277 Hermano

Insecure Inherited Permissions

This vulnerability occurs when an application sets default file or directory permissions that are too permissive, and these insecure…

CWE-279 Hermano

Incorrect Execution-Assigned Permissions

This vulnerability occurs when a running application incorrectly changes an object's access permissions, overriding the security settings…

CWE-281 Hermano

Improper Preservation of Permissions

This vulnerability occurs when a system fails to correctly maintain file or object permissions during operations like copying, sharing, or…

CWE-766 Hermano

Critical Data Element Declared Public

This vulnerability occurs when a critical piece of data—like a variable, field, or class member—is mistakenly declared as public when it…

Recursos

Further reading

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