CWE-270 Base Draft

Privilege Context Switching Error

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly manage user permissions while moving between different security contexts, potentially allowing unauthorized actions.

Definition

What is CWE-270?

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly manage user permissions while moving between different security contexts, potentially allowing unauthorized actions.

Think of this as a security guard who forgets to check their keys when moving between restricted areas. In software, this happens when a process or thread switches between different privilege levels—like going from a low-privilege user mode to a high-privilege kernel mode, or when handling data from different trust zones—but doesn't correctly reset or validate its access rights. The system might carry over elevated permissions from a previous task, creating a window where an attacker can execute code or access data they shouldn't have. For developers, the core issue is a broken trust boundary during state transitions. Common pitfalls include temporarily raising privileges for a specific task but failing to drop them immediately afterward, or incorrectly assuming a new context inherits a safe default. To prevent this, always adopt the principle of least privilege explicitly during context switches: deliberately set the required permissions for the new operation and never rely on implicit state. Audit any code that changes execution context, such as system calls, callback handlers, or data parsers, to ensure privilege cleanup is mandatory and fail-safe.

Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-270

CVE-2002-1688

Web browser cross domain problem when user hits "back" button.
CVE-2003-1026

Web browser cross domain problem when user hits "back" button.
CVE-2002-1770

Cross-domain issue - third party product passes code to web browser, which executes it in unsafe zone.
CVE-2005-2263

Run callback in different security context after it has been changed from untrusted to trusted. * note that "context switch before actions are completed" is one type of problem that happens frequently, espec. in browsers.

Wie Angreifer es ausnutzen

Angreiferpfad Schritt für Schritt

1
Identifiziere einen Codepfad, der nicht vertrauenswürdige Eingaben ohne Validierung verarbeitet.
2
Erzeuge eine Payload, die das unsichere Verhalten auslöst — Injection, Traversal, Overflow oder Logik-Missbrauch.
3
Liefere die Payload über einen normalen Request aus und beobachte die Reaktion der Anwendung.
4
Iteriere, bis die Antwort Daten preisgibt, Angreifer-Code ausführt oder Berechtigungen eskaliert.

Verwundbares Codebeispiel

Vulnerable pseudo

MITRE hat kein Codebeispiel für diese CWE veröffentlicht. Das untenstehende Muster ist illustrativ — kanonische Referenzen findest du unter Ressourcen.

Verwundbar pseudo

// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
  // Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
  return executeUnsafe(input);
}

Sicheres Codebeispiel

Secure pseudo

Sicher pseudo

// Validate, sanitize, or use a safe API before reaching the sink.
function handleRequest(input) {
  const safe = validateAndEscape(input);
  return executeWithGuards(safe);
}

What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.

Präventions-Checkliste

How to prevent CWE-270

Architecture and Design / Operation Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Architecture and Design / Operation Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks [REF-76]. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need to run as the database administrator, especially in day-to-day operations.
Architecture and Design Consider following the principle of separation of privilege. Require multiple conditions to be met before permitting access to a system resource.

Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-270

SAST High

Führe statische Analyse (SAST) auf der Codebasis aus und suche im Datenfluss nach dem unsicheren Muster.

DAST Moderate

Führe dynamische Application-Security-Tests gegen den Live-Endpoint aus.

Runtime Moderate

Beobachte Runtime-Logs auf ungewöhnliche Exception-Traces, fehlerhafte Eingaben oder Versuche, Autorisierung zu umgehen.

Code review Moderate

Code Review: Markiere jeden neuen Code, der Eingaben von dieser Oberfläche ohne validierte Framework-Helper verarbeitet.

CWE-270

Don't catalog this weakness. Prove it's reachable.

Plexicus turns CWE catalogs into evidence: every CWE-pattern is matched against your real code graph, reach is proven on a sandbox clone, and verified findings ship as reviewed PRs.

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Häufig gestellte Fragen

Frequently asked questions

Was ist CWE-270?

This vulnerability occurs when an application fails to properly manage user permissions while moving between different security contexts, potentially allowing unauthorized actions.

Wie gravierend ist CWE-270?

MITRE hat für diese Schwachstelle keine Exploit-Wahrscheinlichkeit veröffentlicht. Behandle sie als mittlere Auswirkung, bis dein Threat Model anderes belegt.

Welche Sprachen oder Plattformen sind von CWE-270 betroffen?

MITRE hat für diese CWE keine betroffenen Plattformen spezifiziert — sie kann in den meisten Anwendungs-Stacks auftreten.

Wie kann ich CWE-270 verhindern?

Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software. Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks [REF-76]. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment. For example, database applications rarely need…

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-270?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-270 bei jedem Commit. Bei einem Treffer öffnet unser Codex-Remedium-Agent einen Fix-PR mit korrigiertem Code, Tests und einer einzeiligen Zusammenfassung für den Reviewer.

Wo erfahre ich mehr über CWE-270?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/270.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

Verwandte Schwachstellen

Weaknesses related to CWE-270

CWE-269 Parent

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Plexicus ist Proof-Driven AppSec: validierte Funde, kontextuelles Verständnis und geprüfte Remediation — in Evidenz verankert, mit Ihnen gescoped.

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Privilege Context Switching Error

What is CWE-270?

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-270

Angreiferpfad Schritt für Schritt

Vulnerable pseudo

Secure pseudo

How to prevent CWE-270

How to detect CWE-270

Don't catalog this weakness. Prove it's reachable.

Frequently asked questions

Weaknesses related to CWE-270

Improper Privilege Management

Execution with Unnecessary Privileges

Incorrect Privilege Assignment

Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions

Privilege Chaining

Privilege Dropping / Lowering Errors

Improper Handling of Insufficient Privileges

Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs

Further reading

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Sample evidence handover

Server-Side Request Forgery in `webhooks/receiver`