Reliance on HTTP instead of HTTPS
Incomplete Base
Structure: Simple
Description
The product provides or relies on use of HTTP communications when HTTPS is available.
Because HTTP communications are not encrypted, HTTP is subject to various attacks against confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. However, unlike many other protocols, HTTPS is widely available as a more secure alternative, because it uses encryption.
Common Consequences 1
Scope: ConfidentialityIntegrity
Impact: Read Application DataModify Application Data
HTTP can be subjected to attacks against confidentiality (by reading cleartext packets); integrity (by modifying sessions); and authenticity (by compromising servers and/or clients using cache poisoning, phishing, or other attacks that enable attackers to spoof a legitimate entity in the communication channel).
Potential Mitigations 4
Phase: Architecture and Design
Explicitly require HTTPS or another mechanism that ensures that communication is encrypted [REF-1464].
Phase: Implementation
Avoid using "mixed content," i.e., serving a web page over HTTPS in which the page includes elements that use "http:" URLs [REF-1466] [REF-1467]. This is often done for images or other resources that do not seem to have privacy or security implications.
Phase: ImplementationOperation
Perform "HTTPS forcing," that is, redirecting HTTP requests to HTTPS.
Phase: Operation
If the product supports multiple protocols, ensure that encrypted protocols (such as HTTPS) are required, and remove any unencrypted protocols (such as HTTP).
References 9
What's the Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS?
Amazon
ID: REF-1461
Why is HTTP not secure? | HTTP vs. HTTPS
Cloudflare
ID: REF-1462
Every Pipe, Every Byte: The Case for Universal Encryption
Bob Lord
12-12-2024
https://medium.com/@boblord/every-pipe-every-byte-the-case-for-universal-encryption-b8e08939d2b9(2025-03-29)
ID: REF-1463
Encrypting the Web
Electronic Frontier Foundation
https://www.eff.org/encrypt-the-web/(2025-03-29)
ID: REF-1464
Application Security Verification Standard 4.0.3 - Final
OWASP
ID: REF-1465
Application Security Verification Standard 4.0.3 - Final
OWASP
ID: REF-1465
Application Security Verification Standard 4.0.3 - Final
OWASP
ID: REF-1465
Mixed content
Mozilla
13-03-2025
ID: REF-1467
Applicable Platforms
Languages:
Not Language-Specific : Undetermined
Technologies:
Not Technology-Specific : Undetermined
Modes of Introduction
Architecture and Design
Requirements
Implementation
Implementation
Operation
Related Weaknesses