CWE - CWE-257: Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format (4.19.1)
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    CWE-257: Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format

    Weakness ID: 257
    Vulnerability Mapping: ALLOWED This CWE ID may be used to map to real-world vulnerabilities
    Abstraction: Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource.
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    + Description
    The storage of passwords in a recoverable format makes them subject to password reuse attacks by malicious users. In fact, it should be noted that recoverable encrypted passwords provide no significant benefit over plaintext passwords since they are subject not only to reuse by malicious attackers but also by malicious insiders. If a system administrator can recover a password directly, or use a brute force search on the available information, the administrator can use the password on other accounts.
    + Common Consequences
    Section HelpThis table specifies different individual consequences associated with the weakness. The Scope identifies the application security area that is violated, while the Impact describes the negative technical impact that arises if an adversary succeeds in exploiting this weakness. The Likelihood provides information about how likely the specific consequence is expected to be seen relative to the other consequences in the list. For example, there may be high likelihood that a weakness will be exploited to achieve a certain impact, but a low likelihood that it will be exploited to achieve a different impact.
    Impact Details

    Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

    		Scope: Confidentiality, Access Control

    User's passwords may be revealed.

    Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

    		Scope: Access Control

    Revealed passwords may be reused elsewhere to impersonate the users in question.
    + Potential Mitigations
    Phase(s) Mitigation

    Architecture and Design
    Use strong, non-reversible encryption to protect stored passwords.
    + Relationships
    Section Help This table shows the weaknesses and high level categories that are related to this weakness. These relationships are defined as ChildOf, ParentOf, MemberOf and give insight to similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such as PeerOf and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar weaknesses that the user may want to explore.
    + Relevant to the view "Research Concepts" (View-1000)
    Nature Type ID Name
    ChildOf Class Class - a weakness that is described in a very abstract fashion, typically independent of any specific language or technology. More specific than a Pillar Weakness, but more general than a Base Weakness. Class level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 1 or 2 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, and resource. 522 Insufficiently Protected Credentials
    PeerOf Variant Variant - a weakness that is linked to a certain type of product, typically involving a specific language or technology. More specific than a Base weakness. Variant level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 3 to 5 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 259 Use of Hard-coded Password
    PeerOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 798 Use of Hard-coded Credentials
    + Relevant to the view "Software Development" (View-699)
    Nature Type ID Name
    MemberOf Category Category - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 255 Credentials Management Errors
    + Relevant to the view "Architectural Concepts" (View-1008)
    Nature Type ID Name
    MemberOf Category Category - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 1013 Encrypt Data
    + Modes Of Introduction
    Section HelpThe different Modes of Introduction provide information about how and when this weakness may be introduced. The Phase identifies a point in the life cycle at which introduction may occur, while the Note provides a typical scenario related to introduction during the given phase.
    Phase Note
    Architecture and Design COMMISSION: This weakness refers to an incorrect design related to an architectural security tactic.
    + Applicable Platforms
    Section HelpThis listing shows possible areas for which the given weakness could appear. These may be for specific named Languages, Operating Systems, Architectures, Paradigms, Technologies, or a class of such platforms. The platform is listed along with how frequently the given weakness appears for that instance.
    Languages

    Class: Not Language-Specific (Undetermined Prevalence)

    + Likelihood Of Exploit
    High
    + Demonstrative Examples

    Example 1


    Both of these examples verify a password by comparing it to a stored compressed version.

    (bad code)
    Example Language: C 
    int VerifyAdmin(char *password) {
    if (strcmp(compress(password), compressed_password)) {
    printf("Incorrect Password!\n");
    return(0);
    }
    printf("Entering Diagnostic Mode...\n");
    return(1);
    }
    (bad code)
    Example Language: Java 
    int VerifyAdmin(String password) {
    if (passwd.Equals(compress(password), compressed_password)) {
    return(0);
    }
    //Diagnostic Mode
    return(1);
    }

    Because a compression algorithm is used instead of a one way hashing algorithm, an attacker can recover compressed passwords stored in the database.



    Example 2


    The following examples show a portion of properties and configuration files for Java and ASP.NET applications. The files include username and password information but they are stored in cleartext.

    This Java example shows a properties file with a cleartext username / password pair.

    (bad code)
    Example Language: Java 

    # Java Web App ResourceBundle properties file
    ...
    webapp.ldap.username=secretUsername
    webapp.ldap.password=secretPassword
    ...

    The following example shows a portion of a configuration file for an ASP.Net application. This configuration file includes username and password information for a connection to a database but the pair is stored in cleartext.

    (bad code)
    Example Language: ASP.NET 
    ...
    <connectionStrings>
    <add name="ud_DEV" connectionString="connectDB=uDB; uid=db2admin; pwd=password; dbalias=uDB;" providerName="System.Data.Odbc" />
    </connectionStrings>
    ...

    Username and password information should not be included in a configuration file or a properties file in cleartext as this will allow anyone who can read the file access to the resource. If possible, encrypt this information.



    + Selected Observed Examples

    Note: this is a curated list of examples for users to understand the variety of ways in which this weakness can be introduced. It is not a complete list of all CVEs that are related to this CWE entry.

    Reference Description
    A messaging platform serializes all elements of User/Group objects, making private information available to adversaries
    + Weakness Ordinalities
    Ordinality Description
    Primary
    (where the weakness exists independent of other weaknesses)
    + Detection Methods
    Method Details

    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
    + Memberships
    Section HelpThis MemberOf Relationships table shows additional CWE Categories and Views that reference this weakness as a member. This information is often useful in understanding where a weakness fits within the context of external information sources.
    Nature Type ID Name
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 963 SFP Secondary Cluster: Exposed Data
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 1348 OWASP Top Ten 2021 Category A04:2021 - Insecure Design
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 1396 Comprehensive Categorization: Access Control
    + Vulnerability Mapping Notes
    Usage ALLOWED
    (this CWE ID may be used to map to real-world vulnerabilities)
    Reason Acceptable-Use

    Rationale

    		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.

    Comments

    		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.
    + Notes

    Maintenance

    The meaning of this entry needs to be investigated more closely, especially with respect to what is meant by "recoverable."
    + Taxonomy Mappings
    Mapped Taxonomy Name Node ID Fit Mapped Node Name
    CLASP Storing passwords in a recoverable format
    Software Fault Patterns SFP23 Exposed Data
    + References
    [REF-18] Secure Software, Inc.. "The CLASP Application Security Process". 2005.
    <https://cwe.mitre.org/documents/sources/TheCLASPApplicationSecurityProcess.pdf>. (URL validated: 2024-11-17)
    + Content History
    + Submissions
    Submission Date Submitter Organization
    2006-07-19
    (CWE Draft 3, 2006-07-19)     		CLASP
    + Modifications
    Modification Date Modifier Organization
    2023-10-26 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Observed_Examples
    2023-06-29 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Mapping_Notes
    2023-04-27 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Detection_Factors, Relationships
    2021-10-28 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2021-03-15 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Demonstrative_Examples, Maintenance_Notes
    2020-02-24 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated References, Relationships
    2017-11-08 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Applicable_Platforms, Causal_Nature, Demonstrative_Examples, Likelihood_of_Exploit, Modes_of_Introduction, Relationships
    2014-07-30 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
    2014-06-23 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Description, Other_Notes
    2012-10-30 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Demonstrative_Examples
    2012-05-11 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Demonstrative_Examples, Relationships
    2011-06-01 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Common_Consequences, Demonstrative_Examples
    2010-02-16 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2008-10-14 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Demonstrative_Examples, Description, Maintenance_Notes, Potential_Mitigations
    2008-09-08 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Other_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings, Weakness_Ordinalities
    Page Last Updated: January 21, 2026