CWE-1391 Classe Incompleto

Use of Weak Credentials

This vulnerability occurs when a system relies on weak authentication credentials—like default passwords, hard-coded keys, or easily guessable values—that an attacker can deduce, reuse, or predict…

Definição

What is CWE-1391?

This vulnerability occurs when a system relies on weak authentication credentials—like default passwords, hard-coded keys, or easily guessable values—that an attacker can deduce, reuse, or predict without needing to perform a full brute-force attack.
Authentication systems are designed to force attackers into time-consuming brute-force attempts when credentials are unknown. However, when credentials are weak—whether they are static, widely reused, or generated in a predictable pattern—attackers can bypass this protection entirely, gaining unauthorized access with minimal effort. Weak credentials typically fall into three categories: hard-coded (static and unchangeable), default (common across installations but changeable), or predictable (generated using a flawed or guessable method). Even if a unique credential is intended for each deployment, a predictable generation process can still make it vulnerable to efficient guessing attacks, undermining the entire authentication mechanism.
Impacto no mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1391

  • [REF-1374]

    Chain: JavaScript-based cryptocurrency library can fall back to the insecure Math.random() function instead of reporting a failure (CWE-392), thus reducing the entropy (CWE-332) and leading to generation of non-unique cryptographic keys for Bitcoin wallets (CWE-1391)

  • CVE-2022-30270

    Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) uses default credentials for some SSH accounts

  • CVE-2022-29965

    Distributed Control System (DCS) uses a deterministic algorithm to generate utility passwords

  • CVE-2022-30271

    Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) uses a hard-coded SSH private key that is likely to be used in typical deployments

  • CVE-2021-38759

    microcontroller board has default password, allowing admin access

  • CVE-2021-41192

    data visualization/sharing package uses default secret keys or cookie values if they are not specified in environment variables

  • CVE-2020-8994

    UART interface for AI speaker uses empty password for root shell

  • CVE-2020-27020

    password manager does not generate cryptographically strong passwords, allowing prediction of passwords using guessable details such as time of generation

Como os atacantes a exploram

Trajeto do atacante passo a passo

  1. 1

    Identificar um caminho de código que trata input não confiável sem validação.

  2. 2

    Criar um payload que explora o comportamento inseguro — injeção, traversal, overflow ou abuso de lógica.

  3. 3

    Entregar o payload através de um pedido normal e observar a reação da aplicação.

  4. 4

    Iterar até que a resposta exponha dados, execute código do atacante ou escale privilégios.

Exemplo de código vulnerável

Vulnerable pseudo

A MITRE não publicou um exemplo de código para este CWE. O padrão abaixo é ilustrativo — consulte os Recursos para referências canónicas.

Vulnerável pseudo 
// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
  // Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
  return executeUnsafe(input);
}
Exemplo 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 verificação de prevenção

How to prevent CWE-1391

  • Architecture Use safe-by-default frameworks and APIs that prevent the unsafe pattern from being expressible.
  • Implementation Validate input at trust boundaries; use allowlists, not denylists.
  • Implementation Apply the principle of least privilege to credentials, file paths, and runtime permissions.
  • Testing Cover this weakness in CI: SAST rules + targeted unit tests for the data flow.
  • Operation Monitor logs for the runtime signals listed in the next section.
Sinais de deteção

How to detect CWE-1391

SAST High

Executar análise estática (SAST) na base de código à procura do padrão inseguro no fluxo de dados.

DAST Moderate

Executar testes dinâmicos de segurança de aplicações (DAST) contra o endpoint em execução.

Runtime Moderate

Monitorizar os registos em tempo de execução para traços de exceção invulgares, input malformado ou tentativas de contornar a autorização.

Code review Moderate

Revisão de código: sinalizar qualquer novo código que trate input desta superfície sem usar os ajudantes validados do framework.

Correção automática do Plexicus

O Plexicus deteta automaticamente o CWE-1391 e abre um PR de correção em menos de 60 segundos.

O Codex Remedium analisa cada commit, identifica esta fraqueza exata e entrega um pull request pronto para revisão com o patch. Sem tickets. Sem transferências.

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Perguntas frequentes

Frequently asked questions

O que é o CWE-1391?

This vulnerability occurs when a system relies on weak authentication credentials—like default passwords, hard-coded keys, or easily guessable values—that an attacker can deduce, reuse, or predict without needing to perform a full brute-force attack.

Qual a gravidade do CWE-1391?

A MITRE não publicou uma classificação de probabilidade de exploração para esta fraqueza. Trate-a como impacto médio até o seu modelo de ameaças provar o contrário.

Que linguagens ou plataformas são afetadas pelo CWE-1391?

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

Como posso prevenir o CWE-1391?

Use safe-by-default frameworks, validate untrusted input at trust boundaries, and apply the principle of least privilege. Cover the data-flow signature in CI with SAST.

Como é que o Plexicus deteta e corrige o CWE-1391?

O motor SAST do Plexicus correlaciona a assinatura de fluxo de dados do CWE-1391 em cada commit. Quando é encontrada uma correspondência, o nosso agente Codex Remedium abre um PR de correção com o código corrigido, testes e um resumo de uma linha para o revisor.

Onde posso saber mais sobre o CWE-1391?

A MITRE publica a definição canónica em https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1391.html. Pode também consultar a documentação da OWASP e do NIST para orientações adjacentes.

Fraquezas relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-1391

CWE-1390 Pai

Weak Authentication

This vulnerability occurs when a system's login or identity verification process is too easy to bypass or fool. While it attempts to check…

CWE-262 Irmão

Not Using Password Aging

This vulnerability occurs when a system lacks password expiration policies, allowing users to keep the same password indefinitely.

CWE-263 Irmão

Password Aging with Long Expiration

The system enforces password changes, but the time allowed between changes is excessively long, weakening security.

CWE-289 Irmão

Authentication Bypass by Alternate Name

This vulnerability occurs when a system checks access based on a resource or user name, but fails to account for all the different names…

CWE-290 Irmão

Authentication Bypass by Spoofing

This weakness occurs when an application's authentication system can be tricked into accepting forged or manipulated credentials, allowing…

CWE-294 Irmão

Authentication Bypass by Capture-replay

This vulnerability occurs when an attacker can intercept and record legitimate authentication traffic, then replay it later to gain…

CWE-301 Irmão

Reflection Attack in an Authentication Protocol

A reflection attack is a flaw in mutual authentication protocols that allows an attacker to impersonate a legitimate user without knowing…

CWE-302 Irmão

Authentication Bypass by Assumed-Immutable Data

This vulnerability occurs when an authentication system incorrectly treats certain data as unchangeable, when in fact an attacker can…

CWE-303 Irmão

Incorrect Implementation of Authentication Algorithm

This weakness occurs when a developer implements a standard authentication algorithm, but makes critical mistakes in the code that cause…

Recursos

Further reading

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