Critical Data Element Declared Public

Incomplete Base

Structure: Simple

Description

The product declares a critical variable, field, or member to be public when intended security policy requires it to be private.

Extended Description

This issue makes it more difficult to maintain the product, which indirectly affects security by making it more difficult or time-consuming to find and/or fix vulnerabilities. It also might make it easier to introduce vulnerabilities.

Common Consequences 2

Scope: IntegrityConfidentiality

Impact: Read Application DataModify Application Data

Making a critical variable public allows anyone with access to the object in which the variable is contained to alter or read the value.

Scope: Other

Impact: Reduce Maintainability

Detection Methods 1

Automated Static AnalysisHigh

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.)

Potential Mitigations 1

Phase: Implementation

Data should be private, static, and final whenever possible. This will assure that your code is protected by instantiating early, preventing access, and preventing tampering.

Demonstrative Examples 2

The following example declares a critical variable public, making it accessible to anyone with access to the object in which it is contained.

Code Example:Bad
C++
c++

Instead, the critical data should be declared private.

Code Example:Good
C++
c++

Even though this example declares the password to be private, there are other possible issues with this implementation, such as the possibility of recovering the password from process memory (Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format).

ID : DX-212

The following example shows a basic user account class that includes member variables for the username and password as well as a public constructor for the class and a public method to authorize access to the user account.

Code Example:

Bad

C++

c++

// if the username and password in the input parameters are equal to*

c++

c++

However, the member variables username and password are declared public and therefore will allow access and changes to the member variables to anyone with access to the object. These member variables should be declared private as shown below to prevent unauthorized access and changes.

Code Example:Good
C++
c++

Observed Examples 1

CVE-2010-3860variables declared public allow remote read of system properties such as user name and home directory.

References 1

Automated Source Code Maintainability Measure (ASCMM)

Object Management Group (OMG)

01-2016

https://www.omg.org/spec/ASCMM/(2023-04-07)

ID: REF-960

Applicable Platforms

Languages:

C++ : UndeterminedC# : UndeterminedJava : Undetermined

Modes of Introduction

Implementation

Related Weaknesses

ChildOf:

Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource (CWE-732)

ChildOf:

Insufficient Encapsulation (CWE-1061)

Taxonomy Mapping

CLASP
The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java (2011)
Software Fault Patterns
OMG ASCMM