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CWE-326 Detail

CWE-326

Inadequate Encryption Strength
Draft
2006-07-19 00:00 +00:00
2023-06-29 00:00 +00:00
CWE Mitre.org

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Inadequate Encryption Strength

The product stores or transmits sensitive data using an encryption scheme that is theoretically sound, but is not strong enough for the level of protection required.

Extended Description

A weak encryption scheme can be subjected to brute force attacks that have a reasonable chance of succeeding using current attack methods and resources.

Informations

Modes Of Introduction

Architecture and Design : COMMISSION: This weakness refers to an incorrect design related to an architectural security tactic.

Applicable Platforms

Language

Class: Not Language-Specific (Undetermined)

Common Consequences

Scope Impact Likelihood
Access Control
Confidentiality		Bypass Protection Mechanism, Read Application Data

Note: An attacker may be able to decrypt the data using brute force attacks.

Observed Examples

Reference Description
CVE-2001-1546Weak encryption
CVE-2004-2172Weak encryption (chosen plaintext attack)
CVE-2002-1682Weak encryption
CVE-2002-1697Weak encryption produces same ciphertext from the same plaintext blocks.
CVE-2002-1739Weak encryption
CVE-2005-2281Weak encryption scheme
CVE-2002-1872Weak encryption (XOR)
CVE-2002-1910Weak encryption (reversible algorithm).
CVE-2002-1946Weak encryption (one-to-one mapping).
CVE-2002-1975Encryption error uses fixed salt, simplifying brute force / dictionary attacks (overlaps randomness).

Potential Mitigations

Phases : Architecture and Design
Use an encryption scheme that is currently considered to be strong by experts in the field.

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

Rationale : This CWE entry is a Class and might have Base-level children that would be more appropriate
Comments : Examine children of this entry to see if there is a better fit

Related Attack Patterns

CAPEC-ID Attack Pattern Name
CAPEC-112 Brute Force
In this attack, some asset (information, functionality, identity, etc.) is protected by a finite secret value. The attacker attempts to gain access to this asset by using trial-and-error to exhaustively explore all the possible secret values in the hope of finding the secret (or a value that is functionally equivalent) that will unlock the asset.
CAPEC-192 Protocol Analysis
An adversary engages in activities to decipher and/or decode protocol information for a network or application communication protocol used for transmitting information between interconnected nodes or systems on a packet-switched data network. While this type of analysis involves the analysis of a networking protocol inherently, it does not require the presence of an actual or physical network.
CAPEC-20 Encryption Brute Forcing
An attacker, armed with the cipher text and the encryption algorithm used, performs an exhaustive (brute force) search on the key space to determine the key that decrypts the cipher text to obtain the plaintext.

References

REF-7

Writing Secure Code
Michael Howard, David LeBlanc.
https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/store/writing-secure-code-9780735617223

REF-44

24 Deadly Sins of Software Security
Michael Howard, David LeBlanc, John Viega.

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
Veracode 2008-08-15 +00:00 Suggested OWASP Top Ten 2004 mapping
CWE Content Team MITRE 2008-09-08 +00:00 updated Maintenance_Notes, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-03-10 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-05-27 +00:00 updated Related_Attack_Patterns
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-07-08 +00:00 Clarified entry to focus on algorithms that do not have major weaknesses, but may not be strong enough for some purposes.
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-07-27 +00:00 updated Common_Consequences, Description, Maintenance_Notes, Name
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-10-29 +00:00 updated Relationships
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 References, Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2013-07-17 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2014-07-30 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2015-12-07 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2017-11-08 +00:00 updated Applicable_Platforms, Modes_of_Introduction, References, Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2018-03-27 +00:00 updated References, Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2019-01-03 +00:00 updated Related_Attack_Patterns
CWE Content Team MITRE 2019-06-20 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2020-02-24 +00:00 updated Maintenance_Notes, Potential_Mitigations, Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2021-10-28 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-01-31 +00:00 updated Description, Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-04-27 +00:00 updated Detection_Factors, Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-06-29 +00:00 updated Mapping_Notes

More information
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