Modes Of Introduction
Architecture and Design : OMISSION: This weakness is caused by missing a security tactic during the architecture and design phase.
Applicable Platforms
Language
Class: Not Language-Specific (Undetermined)
Technologies
Class: Cloud Computing (Undetermined)
Class: ICS/OT (Undetermined)
Class: Mobile (Undetermined)
Common Consequences
Scope |
Impact |
Likelihood |
Confidentiality | Read Application Data
Note: An attacker with access to the system could read sensitive information stored in cleartext (i.e., unencrypted). Even if the information is encoded in a way that is not human-readable, certain techniques could determine which encoding is being used, then decode the information. | |
Observed Examples
References |
Description |
| Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) uses a driver that relies on a password stored in plaintext. |
| password and username stored in cleartext in a cookie |
| password stored in cleartext in a file with insecure permissions |
| chat program disables SSL in some circumstances even when the user says to use SSL. |
| Chain: product uses an incorrect public exponent when generating an RSA key, which effectively disables the encryption |
| storage of unencrypted passwords in a database |
| storage of unencrypted passwords in a database |
| product stores a password in cleartext in memory |
| storage of a secret key in cleartext in a temporary file |
| SCADA product uses HTTP Basic Authentication, which is not encrypted |
| login credentials stored unencrypted in a registry key |
| Plaintext credentials in world-readable file. |
| Password in cleartext in config file. |
| Password in cleartext in config file. |
| Decrypted copy of a message written to disk given a combination of options and when user replies to an encrypted message. |
| Plaintext storage of private key and passphrase in log file when user imports the key. |
| Admin password in plaintext in a cookie. |
| Default configuration has cleartext usernames/passwords in cookie. |
| Usernames/passwords in cleartext in cookies. |
| Authentication information stored in cleartext in a cookie. |
Potential Mitigations
Phases : Implementation // System Configuration // Operation
When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to encrypt the data at rest. [REF-1297] [REF-1299] [REF-1301]
Phases : Implementation // System Configuration // Operation
In some systems/environments such as cloud, the use of "double encryption" (at both the software and hardware layer) might be required, and the developer might be solely responsible for both layers, instead of shared responsibility with the administrator of the broader system/environment.
Detection Methods
Automated Static Analysis
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.)
Effectiveness : High
Vulnerability Mapping Notes
Justification : This CWE entry is at the Base level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.
Comment : Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.
Related Attack Patterns
CAPEC-ID |
Attack Pattern Name |
CAPEC-37 |
Retrieve Embedded Sensitive Data An attacker examines a target system to find sensitive data that has been embedded within it. This information can reveal confidential contents, such as account numbers or individual keys/credentials that can be used as an intermediate step in a larger attack. |
NotesNotes
Different people use "cleartext" and "plaintext" to mean the same thing: the lack of encryption. However, within cryptography, these have more precise meanings. Plaintext is the information just before it is fed into a cryptographic algorithm, including already-encrypted text. Cleartext is any information that is unencrypted, although it might be in an encoded form that is not easily human-readable (such as base64 encoding).
When organizations adopt cloud services, it can be easier for attackers to access the data from anywhere on the Internet.
References
REF-7
Writing Secure Code
Michael Howard, David LeBlanc.
https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/store/writing-secure-code-9780735617223 REF-62
The Art of Software Security Assessment
Mark Dowd, John McDonald, Justin Schuh.
REF-172
Mobile App Top 10 List
Chris Wysopal.
https://www.veracode.com/blog/2010/12/mobile-app-top-10-list REF-1283
OT:ICEFALL: The legacy of "insecure by design" and its implications for certifications and risk management
Forescout Vedere Labs.
https://www.forescout.com/resources/ot-icefall-report/ REF-1295
Over 80 US Municipalities' Sensitive Information, Including Resident's Personal Data, Left Vulnerable in Massive Data Breach
WizCase.
https://www.wizcase.com/blog/us-municipality-breach-report/ REF-1296
1,000 GB of local government data exposed by Massachusetts software company
Jonathan Greig.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/1000-gb-of-local-government-data-exposed-by-massachusetts-software-company/ REF-1297
AWS Foundational Security Best Practices controls
Amazon.
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/securityhub/latest/userguide/securityhub-controls-reference.html REF-1299
Azure encryption overview
Microsoft.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/encryption-overview REF-1301
Default encryption at rest
Google Cloud.
https://cloud.google.com/docs/security/encryption/default-encryption REF-1307
CIS Microsoft Azure Foundations Benchmark version 1.5.0
Center for Internet Security.
https://www.cisecurity.org/benchmark/azure REF-1310
Enable infrastructure encryption for double encryption of data
Microsoft.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/storage/common/infrastructure-encryption-enable
Submission
Name |
Organization |
Date |
Date release |
Version |
PLOVER |
|
2006-07-19 +00:00 |
2006-07-19 +00:00 |
Draft 3 |
Modifications
Name |
Organization |
Date |
Comment |
Eric Dalci |
Cigital |
2008-07-01 +00:00 |
updated Time_of_Introduction |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2008-09-08 +00:00 |
updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2009-01-12 +00:00 |
updated Description, Name |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2010-02-16 +00:00 |
updated References |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2010-06-21 +00:00 |
updated Relationships |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2011-06-01 +00:00 |
updated Common_Consequences |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2012-05-11 +00:00 |
updated Common_Consequences, Demonstrative_Examples, Observed_Examples, References, Related_Attack_Patterns, Relationships |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2013-02-21 +00:00 |
updated Applicable_Platforms, References |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2013-07-17 +00:00 |
updated Description, Relationships, Terminology_Notes |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2014-07-30 +00:00 |
updated Demonstrative_Examples, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2017-05-03 +00:00 |
updated Related_Attack_Patterns |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2017-11-08 +00:00 |
updated Modes_of_Introduction, References, Relationships |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2018-01-23 +00:00 |
updated Abstraction, Relationships |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2018-03-27 +00:00 |
updated References, Relationships, Type |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2019-06-20 +00:00 |
updated Relationships, Type |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2020-02-24 +00:00 |
updated Applicable_Platforms, Relationships |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2021-03-15 +00:00 |
updated Demonstrative_Examples |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2021-10-28 +00:00 |
updated Relationships |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2022-10-13 +00:00 |
updated Applicable_Platforms, Demonstrative_Examples, Description, Observed_Examples, Potential_Mitigations, References |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2023-01-31 +00:00 |
updated Applicable_Platforms, Demonstrative_Examples, Description, References, Relationships |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2023-04-27 +00:00 |
updated Detection_Factors, References, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2023-06-29 +00:00 |
updated Mapping_Notes, Relationships |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2024-02-29 +00:00 |
updated Taxonomy_Mappings |
CWE Content Team |
MITRE |
2025-04-03 +00:00 |
updated Common_Consequences, Description, Diagram, Other_Notes, Potential_Mitigations |