CWE-522 Classe Incompleto

Insufficiently Protected Credentials

This vulnerability occurs when an application handles sensitive credentials like passwords or API keys in an insecure way, making them easy for attackers to steal during transmission or while stored.

Definição

What is CWE-522?

This vulnerability occurs when an application handles sensitive credentials like passwords or API keys in an insecure way, making them easy for attackers to steal during transmission or while stored.
Insufficiently protected credentials are a primary target for attackers. This happens when developers rely on weak or outdated methods, such as sending passwords in plain text over unencrypted connections (HTTP), storing them in easily accessible logs or public code repositories, or using weak encryption that can be easily reversed. Attackers exploit these flaws using simple network sniffing, searching public code commits, or accessing poorly secured databases to harvest credentials and gain unauthorized access. To prevent this, always enforce strong, modern security practices. This means using TLS (HTTPS) for all credential transmission, never logging or caching passwords, and employing robust, salted hashing algorithms (like Argon2 or bcrypt) for storage. Additionally, implement secure credential management solutions, such as secrets managers or environment variables, to keep keys out of your application code entirely. Regular security audits and automated scanning can help catch these dangerous oversights before they are exploited.
Impacto no mundo real

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-522

  • CVE-2022-30018

    A messaging platform serializes all elements of User/Group objects, making private information available to adversaries

  • CVE-2022-29959

    Initialization file contains credentials that can be decoded using a "simple string transformation"

  • CVE-2022-35411

    Python-based RPC framework enables pickle functionality by default, allowing clients to unpickle untrusted data.

  • CVE-2022-29519

    Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) sends sensitive information in plaintext, including passwords and session tokens.

  • CVE-2022-30312

    Building Controller uses a protocol that transmits authentication credentials in plaintext.

  • CVE-2022-31204

    Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) sends password in plaintext.

  • CVE-2022-30275

    Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) uses a driver that relies on a password stored in plaintext.

  • CVE-2007-0681

    Web app allows remote attackers to change the passwords of arbitrary users without providing the original password, and possibly perform other unauthorized actions.

Como os atacantes a exploram

Trajeto do atacante passo a passo

  1. 1

    This code changes a user's password.

  2. 2

    While the code confirms that the requesting user typed the same new password twice, it does not confirm that the user requesting the password change is the same user whose password will be changed. An attacker can request a change of another user's password and gain control of the victim's account.

  3. 3

    The following code reads a password from a properties file and uses the password to connect to a database.

  4. 4

    This code will run successfully, but anyone who has access to config.properties can read the value of password. If a devious employee has access to this information, they can use it to break into the system.

  5. 5

    The following code reads a password from the registry and uses the password to create a new network credential.

Exemplo de código vulnerável

Vulnerable PHP

This code changes a user's password.

Vulnerável PHP 
$user = $_GET['user'];
  $pass = $_GET['pass'];
  $checkpass = $_GET['checkpass'];
  if ($pass == $checkpass) {
  	SetUserPassword($user, $pass);
  }
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-522

  • Architecture and Design Use an appropriate security mechanism to protect the credentials.
  • Architecture and Design Make appropriate use of cryptography to protect the credentials.
  • Implementation Use industry standards to protect the credentials (e.g. LDAP, keystore, etc.).
Sinais de deteção

How to detect CWE-522

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.)

Correção automática do Plexicus

O Plexicus deteta automaticamente o CWE-522 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.

Obter uma demonstração Experimente o Plexicus gratuitamente
Perguntas frequentes

Frequently asked questions

O que é o CWE-522?

This vulnerability occurs when an application handles sensitive credentials like passwords or API keys in an insecure way, making them easy for attackers to steal during transmission or while stored.

Qual a gravidade do CWE-522?

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-522?

MITRE lists the following affected platforms: ICS/OT.

Como posso prevenir o CWE-522?

Use an appropriate security mechanism to protect the credentials. Make appropriate use of cryptography to protect the credentials.

Como é que o Plexicus deteta e corrige o CWE-522?

O motor SAST do Plexicus correlaciona a assinatura de fluxo de dados do CWE-522 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-522?

A MITRE publica a definição canónica em https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/522.html. Pode também consultar a documentação da OWASP e do NIST para orientações adjacentes.

Fraquezas relacionadas

Weaknesses related to CWE-522

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CWE-262 Irmão

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Password Aging with Long Expiration

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CWE-289 Irmão

Authentication Bypass by Alternate Name

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CWE-290 Irmão

Authentication Bypass by Spoofing

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CWE-294 Irmão

Authentication Bypass by Capture-replay

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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…

Recursos

Further reading

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