CWE-618 Variant Incomplete

Exposed Unsafe ActiveX Method

This vulnerability occurs when an ActiveX control, designed for web browsers, exposes methods that bypass the browser's built-in security restrictions. These unsafe methods can perform actions…

Definition

What is CWE-618?

This vulnerability occurs when an ActiveX control, designed for web browsers, exposes methods that bypass the browser's built-in security restrictions. These unsafe methods can perform actions outside the browser's intended security boundaries, such as those defined by zones or domains.

ActiveX controls operate with high-level system permissions, granting them far more access to the operating system than standard web scripts like JavaScript. When a control exposes a method without proper safeguards, attackers can potentially invoke it from a malicious webpage. The risk level depends entirely on what the exposed method does and whether it validates any input it receives. Without checks to verify the origin or integrity of the call, these dangerous methods become an open gateway. Attackers can exploit them to perform unauthorized actions on a user's system, directly from the browser. The core issue is the combination of excessive system privileges and a lack of validation for who is calling the method or what data they are sending.

Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-618

CVE-2007-1120

download a file to arbitrary folders.
CVE-2006-6838

control downloads and executes a url in a parameter
CVE-2007-0321

resultant buffer overflow

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-618

Implementation If you must expose a method, make sure to perform input validation on all arguments, and protect against all possible vulnerabilities.
Architecture and Design Use code signing, although this does not protect against any weaknesses that are already in the control.
Architecture and Design / System Configuration Where possible, avoid marking the control as safe for scripting.

Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-618

Automated Static Analysis High

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.)

CWE-618

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.

Request AI Swarm Pentest

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Frequently asked questions

Was ist CWE-618?

Wie gravierend ist CWE-618?

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-618 betroffen?

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

Wie kann ich CWE-618 verhindern?

If you must expose a method, make sure to perform input validation on all arguments, and protect against all possible vulnerabilities. Use code signing, although this does not protect against any weaknesses that are already in the control.

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-618?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-618 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-618?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/618.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

Verwandte Schwachstellen

Weaknesses related to CWE-618

CWE-749 Parent

Exposed Dangerous Method or Function

This vulnerability occurs when a software component exposes an API or interface containing a high-risk function that lacks proper access…

CWE-782 Sibling

Exposed IOCTL with Insufficient Access Control

This vulnerability occurs when a system exposes an IOCTL (Input/Output Control) interface that performs sensitive operations, but fails to…

Ressourcen

Bereit zu validieren, was zählt.

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

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