CWE-526 Variante Incompleto

Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in an Environment Variable

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores sensitive data, such as passwords or API keys, as plain text in an environment variable.

Definición

What is CWE-526?

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores sensitive data, such as passwords or API keys, as plain text in an environment variable.
Storing secrets in plain text within environment variables creates a broad attack surface. Many other processes within the same execution context can access these values, including child processes spawned by your application, third-party dependencies, and adjacent functions in serverless cloud environments. Since these components often don't actually need the secret, this practice unnecessarily exposes it. Furthermore, environment variable data can easily leak into unintended locations. Application code or logging libraries might inadvertently include these values in error messages, HTTP headers, debug outputs, or log files. This indirect exposure means that even if you don't directly read the variable in your core logic, a separate weakness elsewhere in your application stack could still disclose it.
Impacto en el mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-526

  • CVE-2022-43691

    CMS shows sensitive server-side information from environment variables when run in Debug mode.

  • CVE-2022-27195

    Plugin for an automation server inserts environment variable contents into build XML files.

  • CVE-2022-25264

    CI/CD tool logs environment variables related to passwords add Contribution to content history.

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-526

  • Architecture and Design Encrypt information stored in the environment variable to protect it from being exposed to an unauthorized user. If encryption is not feasible or is considered too expensive for the business use of the application, then consider using a properly protected configuration file instead of an environment variable. It should be understood that unencrypted information in a config file is also not guaranteed to be protected, but it is still a better choice, because it reduces attack surface related to weaknesses such as CWE-214. In some settings, vaults might be a feasible option for safer data transfer. Users should be notified of the business choice made to not protect the sensitive information through encryption.
  • Implementation If the environment variable is not necessary for the desired behavior, then remove it entirely, or clear it to an empty value.
Señales de detección

How to detect CWE-526

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.)

Auto-corrección de Plexicus

Plexicus detecta automáticamente CWE-526 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-526?

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores sensitive data, such as passwords or API keys, as plain text in an environment variable.

¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-526?

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-526?

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

¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-526?

Encrypt information stored in the environment variable to protect it from being exposed to an unauthorized user. If encryption is not feasible or is considered too expensive for the business use of the application, then consider using a properly protected configuration file instead of an environment variable. It should be understood that unencrypted information in a config file is also not guaranteed to be protected, but it is still a better choice, because it reduces attack surface related to…

¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-526?

El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-526 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-526?

MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/526.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.

Debilidades relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-526

CWE-312 Padre

Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores sensitive data like passwords, credit card numbers, or personal information in plain…

CWE-313 Hermano

Cleartext Storage in a File or on Disk

This vulnerability occurs when an application writes sensitive data, such as passwords or personal information, directly to a file or disk…

CWE-314 Hermano

Cleartext Storage in the Registry

This vulnerability occurs when an application saves sensitive data, like passwords or keys, as plain text in the Windows Registry.

CWE-315 Hermano

Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in a Cookie

This vulnerability occurs when an application directly stores sensitive data, like session tokens or personal details, in a browser cookie…

CWE-316 Hermano

Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in Memory

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores sensitive data, such as passwords or encryption keys, in memory without any form of…

CWE-317 Hermano

Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in GUI

This vulnerability occurs when an application stores sensitive data, such as passwords or personal information, in plain text within its…

CWE-318 Hermano

Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in Executable

This vulnerability occurs when an application embeds sensitive information, like passwords or keys, directly within its executable code…

CWE-214 Par

Invocation of Process Using Visible Sensitive Information

This vulnerability occurs when a process is started with sensitive data, such as passwords or API keys, passed directly in its…

Recursos

Further reading

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