CISQ Data Protection Measures

A view in the Common Weakness Enumeration published by The MITRE Corporation.


Objective

Views in the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) represent one perspective with which to consider a set of weaknesses.

This view outlines the SMM representation of the Automated Source Code Data Protection Measurement specifications, as identified by the Consortium for Information & Software Quality (CISQ) Working Group.

Target Audience

Assessment Tool Vendors

This view provides a good starting point for assessment tool vendors (e.g., vendors selling static analysis tools) who wish to understand what constitutes software with good code quality, and which quality issues may be of concern.

Product Vendors

This view can help product vendors understand code quality issues and convey an overall status of their software.

Software Developers

This view provides a good starting point for anyone involved in software development (including architects, designers, coders, and testers) to ensure that code quality issues are considered during the development process.

Weaknesses

Deserialization of Untrusted Data

The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently verifying that the resulting data will be valid.

Exposure of Private Personal Information to an Unauthorized Actor

The product does not properly prevent a person's private, personal information from being accessed by actors who either (1) are not explicitly authorized to access the...

Exposure of Sensitive Information Due to Incompatible Policies

The product's intended functionality exposes information to certain actors in accordance with the developer's security policy, but this information is regarded as sens...

Improper Access Control

The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.

Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions

The product does not properly anticipate or handle exceptional conditions that rarely occur during normal operation of the product.

Improper Control of Resource Identifiers ('Resource Injection')

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not restrict or incorrectly restricts the input before it is used as an identifier for a resource th...

Improper Initialization

The product does not initialize or incorrectly initializes a resource, which might leave the resource in an unexpected state when it is accessed or used.

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but ...

Improper Neutralization of Data within XPath Expressions ('XPath Injection')

The product uses external input to dynamically construct an XPath expression used to retrieve data from an XML database, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neut...

Improper Neutralization of Data within XQuery Expressions ('XQuery Injection')

The product uses external input to dynamically construct an XQuery expression used to retrieve data from an XML database, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neu...

Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')

The product constructs all or part of a command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes spe...

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an LDAP Query ('LDAP Injection')

The product constructs all or part of an LDAP query using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes...

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')

The product constructs all or part of an SQL command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralize...

Improper Null Termination

The product does not terminate or incorrectly terminates a string or array with a null character or equivalent terminator.

Improper Protection of Alternate Path

The product does not sufficiently protect all possible paths that a user can take to access restricted functionality or resources.

Improper Resource Shutdown or Release

The product does not release or incorrectly releases a resource before it is made available for re-use.

Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

The product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it can read from or write to a memory location that is outside of the intended boundary of the buffer.

Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference

The product processes an XML document that can contain XML entities with URIs that resolve to documents outside of the intended sphere of control, causing the product ...

Improper Synchronization

The product utilizes multiple threads or processes to allow temporary access to a shared resource that can only be exclusive to one process at a time, but it does not ...

Improper Validation of Array Index

The product uses untrusted input when calculating or using an array index, but the product does not validate or incorrectly validates the index to ensure the index ref...

Improperly Controlled Modification of Dynamically-Determined Object Attributes

The product receives input from an upstream component that specifies multiple attributes, properties, or fields that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but...

Incorrect Calculation

The product performs a calculation that generates incorrect or unintended results that are later used in security-critical decisions or resource management.

Incorrect Conversion between Numeric Types

When converting from one data type to another, such as long to integer, data can be omitted or translated in a way that produces unexpected values. If the resulting va...

Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource

The product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors.

Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast

The product does not correctly convert an object, resource, or structure from one type to a different type.

Initialization with Hard-Coded Network Resource Configuration Data

The product initializes data using hard-coded values that act as network resource identifiers.

Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data

The product does not encrypt sensitive or critical information before storage or transmission.

Operation on a Resource after Expiration or Release

The product uses, accesses, or otherwise operates on a resource after that resource has been expired, released, or revoked.

Return of Stack Variable Address

A function returns the address of a stack variable, which will cause unintended program behavior, typically in the form of a crash.

Unchecked Input for Loop Condition

The product does not properly check inputs that are used for loop conditions, potentially leading to a denial of service or other consequences because of excessive loo...

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type

The product allows the attacker to upload or transfer files of dangerous types that can be automatically processed within the product's environment.

Use of Externally-Controlled Format String

The product uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source.

Use of Hard-coded Credentials

The product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key, which it uses for its own inbound authentication, outbound communication to exter...

Use of Uninitialized Resource

The product uses or accesses a resource that has not been initialized.

XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)

The product does not properly neutralize special elements that are used in XML, allowing attackers to modify the syntax, content, or commands of the XML before it is p...

See Also

  1. AUTOMATED SOURCE CODE MEASURE FOR DATA PROTECTION

    Consortium for Information & Software Quality (CISQ)


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