CWE WEAKNESSES / CWE-285
CWE-285
Improper Authorization
Class EXPLOIT LIKELIHOOD: HIGH
What it is
The product does not perform or incorrectly performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.
Impact
| Confidentiality | Read Application Data, Read Files or Directories |
| Integrity | Modify Application Data, Modify Files or Directories |
| Access Control | Gain Privileges or Assume Identity, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands |
Mitigations
- [Architecture and Design]Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries.Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same r
- [Architecture and Design] Ensure that you perform access control checks related to your business logic. These checks may be different than the access control checks that you apply to more generic resources such as files, connections, processes, memory, and database records. For example, a database may restrict access for medical records to a specific database user, but each record might only be intended to be accessible to
- [Architecture and Design]Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework [REF-233] and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature [REF-45].
- [Architecture and Design]For web applications, make sure that the access control mechanism is enforced correctly at the server side on every page. Users should not be able to access any unauthorized functionality or information by simply requesting direct access to that page.One way to do this is to ensure that all pages containing sensitive information are not cached, and that all such pages restrict access to reque
- [System Configuration, Installation] Use the access control capabilities of your operating system and server environment and define your access control lists accordingly. Use a "default deny" policy when defining these ACLs.
Real-world CVE examples
- CVE-2024-6845 — chatbot Wordpress plugin does not perform authorization on a REST endpoint, allowing retrieval of an API key
- CVE-2022-24730 — Go-based continuous deployment product does not check that a user has certain privileges to update or create an app, allowing adversaries to read sensitive repo
- CVE-2009-3168 — Web application does not restrict access to admin scripts, allowing authenticated users to reset administrative passwords.
- CVE-2009-2960 — Web application does not restrict access to admin scripts, allowing authenticated users to modify passwords of other users.
- CVE-2009-3597 — Web application stores database file under the web root with insufficient access control (CWE-219), allowing direct request.
- CVE-2009-2282 — Terminal server does not check authorization for guest access.
- CVE-2009-3230 — Database server does not use appropriate privileges for certain sensitive operations.
- CVE-2009-2213 — Gateway uses default "Allow" configuration for its authorization settings.
- CVE-2009-0034 — Chain: product does not properly interpret a configuration option for a system group, allowing users to gain privileges.
- CVE-2008-6123 — Chain: SNMP product does not properly parse a configuration option for which hosts are allowed to connect, allowing unauthorized IP addresses to connect.
- CVE-2008-5027 — System monitoring software allows users to bypass authorization by creating custom forms.
- CVE-2008-7109 — Chain: reliance on client-side security (CWE-602) allows attackers to bypass authorization using a custom client.
Related weaknesses
Test & detect
Browse all common weaknesses, check related exploited CVEs, or map to ATT&CK techniques.
Source: MITRE CWE. View on cwe.mitre.org →