Führe statische Analyse (SAST) auf der Codebasis aus und suche im Datenfluss nach dem unsicheren Muster.
CWE-278 Variant Incomplete
Insecure Preserved Inherited Permissions
This vulnerability occurs when a software product copies or extracts files while unintentionally preserving insecure permissions from their original source, such as an archive, without the user's…
Definition
What is CWE-278?
This vulnerability occurs when a software product copies or extracts files while unintentionally preserving insecure permissions from their original source, such as an archive, without the user's knowledge or consent.
When a program extracts files from an archive (like a ZIP or TAR file) or copies them from another location, it often replicates the original file permissions or access rights. If those source permissions are overly permissive—for example, allowing any user to read or modify sensitive files—this insecure configuration is silently carried over to the new system. The user or administrator is typically unaware this has happened, creating a hidden security gap where protected data could be exposed or altered.
To prevent this, developers should ensure their file operations explicitly set secure, context-appropriate permissions during extraction or copying, rather than blindly inheriting them. This involves stripping or resetting permissions by default and providing clear logging or user prompts when risky permissions are detected. Implementing these safeguards closes the window where an attacker could exploit preserved access rights from a seemingly harmless file transfer.
Auswirkungen in der Praxis
Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-278
-
Does not obey specified permissions when exporting.
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.
// 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
// 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-278
- Architecture and Design / Operation Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
- Architecture and Design Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least privilege to decide the appropriate time to use privileges and the time to drop privileges.
Erkennungssignale
How to detect CWE-278
Führe dynamische Application-Security-Tests gegen den Live-Endpoint aus.
Beobachte Runtime-Logs auf ungewöhnliche Exception-Traces, fehlerhafte Eingaben oder Versuche, Autorisierung zu umgehen.
Code Review: Markiere jeden neuen Code, der Eingaben von dieser Oberfläche ohne validierte Framework-Helper verarbeitet.
CWE-278
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.
Häufig gestellte Fragen Was ist CWE-278?
Wie gravierend ist CWE-278?
Welche Sprachen oder Plattformen sind von CWE-278 betroffen?
Wie kann ich CWE-278 verhindern?
Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-278?
Wo erfahre ich mehr über CWE-278?
Frequently asked questions
Was ist CWE-278?
This vulnerability occurs when a software product copies or extracts files while unintentionally preserving insecure permissions from their original source, such as an archive, without the user's knowledge or consent.
Wie gravierend ist CWE-278?
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-278 betroffen?
MITRE hat für diese CWE keine betroffenen Plattformen spezifiziert — sie kann in den meisten Anwendungs-Stacks auftreten.
Wie kann ich CWE-278 verhindern?
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software. Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and…
Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-278?
Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-278 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-278?
MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/278.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.
Verwandte Schwachstellen
Weaknesses related to CWE-278
CWE-732 Parent
Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
This vulnerability occurs when a system grants overly permissive access to a sensitive resource, allowing unauthorized users or processes…
CWE-1004 Sibling
Sensitive Cookie Without 'HttpOnly' Flag
This vulnerability occurs when an application stores sensitive data in a cookie but fails to set the 'HttpOnly' flag, leaving the cookie…
CWE-276 Sibling
Incorrect Default Permissions
This vulnerability occurs when software installation scripts set overly permissive file or directory access rights by default. Instead of…
CWE-277 Sibling
Insecure Inherited Permissions
This vulnerability occurs when an application sets default file or directory permissions that are too permissive, and these insecure…
CWE-279 Sibling
Incorrect Execution-Assigned Permissions
This vulnerability occurs when a running application incorrectly changes an object's access permissions, overriding the security settings…
CWE-281 Sibling
Improper Preservation of Permissions
This vulnerability occurs when a system fails to correctly maintain file or object permissions during operations like copying, sharing, or…
CWE-766 Sibling
Critical Data Element Declared Public
This vulnerability occurs when a critical piece of data—like a variable, field, or class member—is mistakenly declared as public when it…
Ressourcen
Further reading
Bereit, das Wesentliche zu validieren?
Bereit zu validieren, was zählt.
Plexicus ist Proof-Driven AppSec: validierte Funde, kontextuelles Verständnis und geprüfte Remediation — in Evidenz verankert, mit Ihnen gescoped.