Ejecuta análisis estático (SAST) sobre el código buscando el patrón inseguro en el flujo de datos.
CWE-451 Clase Borrador
User Interface (UI) Misrepresentation of Critical Information
This vulnerability occurs when a user interface fails to accurately display or highlight crucial information, potentially misleading users about the true state of the system or the source of data.…
Definición
What is CWE-451?
This vulnerability occurs when a user interface fails to accurately display or highlight crucial information, potentially misleading users about the true state of the system or the source of data. Attackers exploit this weakness to trick users into performing unintended actions, often as part of phishing campaigns or other deception-based attacks.
When an application's UI misrepresents critical data—whether by showing incorrect information, obscuring it, or spoofing its origin—it breaks the user's trust in the interface. This can lead directly to security failures, such as users approving dangerous transactions, downloading malicious files, or ignoring genuine security alerts because they appear untrustworthy. Essentially, if the user cannot rely on what they see, they become vulnerable to manipulation.
Common attack methods include overlaying fake elements over legitimate ones (clickjacking), manipulating file icons to hide dangerous extensions, exploiting race conditions to show false status indicators, or using visual tricks like character homographs in URLs. Developers must treat the UI as a critical security layer, ensuring it consistently and clearly communicates the true system state, source of information, and potential risks without ambiguity or omission.
Impacto en el mundo real
Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-451
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Web browser's filename selection dialog only shows the beginning portion of long filenames, which can trick users into launching executables with dangerous extensions.
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Attachment with many spaces in filename bypasses "dangerous content" warning and uses different icon. Likely resultant.
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Misrepresentation and equivalence issue.
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Lock spoofing from several different weaknesses.
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Incorrect indicator: web browser can be tricked into presenting the wrong URL
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Incorrect indicator: Lock icon displayed when an insecure page loads a binary file loaded from a trusted site.
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Incorrect indicator: Secure "lock" icon is presented for one channel, while an insecure page is being simultaneously loaded in another channel.
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Incorrect indicator: Certain redirect sequences cause security lock icon to appear in web browser, even when page is not encrypted.
Cómo lo explotan los atacantes
Ruta del atacante paso a paso
- 1
Identifica una ruta de código que maneje entrada no confiable sin validación.
- 2
Crea un payload que ejercite el comportamiento inseguro — inyección, traversal, overflow o abuso de lógica.
- 3
Envía el payload a través de una solicitud normal y observa la reacción de la aplicación.
- 4
Itera hasta que la respuesta filtre datos, ejecute código del atacante o escale privilegios.
Ejemplo de código vulnerable
Vulnerable pseudo
MITRE no ha publicado un ejemplo de código para esta CWE. El patrón siguiente es ilustrativo — consulta Recursos para referencias canónicas.
// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
// Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
return executeUnsafe(input);
} Ejemplo de código seguro
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.
Lista de prevención
How to prevent CWE-451
- Implementation Perform data validation (e.g. syntax, length, etc.) before interpreting the data.
- Architecture and Design Create a strategy for presenting information, and plan for how to display unusual characters.
Señales de detección
How to detect CWE-451
Ejecuta pruebas dinámicas de seguridad de aplicaciones (DAST) contra el endpoint en vivo.
Vigila los logs en tiempo de ejecución para detectar trazas de excepción inusuales, entradas malformadas o intentos de bypass de autorización.
Revisión de código: marca cualquier código nuevo que maneje entrada desde esta superficie sin usar los helpers validados del framework.
CWE-451
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.
Preguntas frecuentes ¿Qué es CWE-451?
¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-451?
¿Qué lenguajes o plataformas se ven afectados por CWE-451?
¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-451?
¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-451?
¿Dónde puedo aprender más sobre CWE-451?
Frequently asked questions
¿Qué es CWE-451?
This vulnerability occurs when a user interface fails to accurately display or highlight crucial information, potentially misleading users about the true state of the system or the source of data. Attackers exploit this weakness to trick users into performing unintended actions, often as part of phishing campaigns or other deception-based attacks.
¿Qué gravedad tiene CWE-451?
MITRE no ha publicado una calificación de probabilidad de explotación para esta debilidad. Trátala como de impacto medio hasta que tu modelo de amenazas demuestre lo contrario.
¿Qué lenguajes o plataformas se ven afectados por CWE-451?
MITRE no ha especificado plataformas afectadas para esta CWE — puede aplicar a la mayoría de los stacks de aplicaciones.
¿Cómo puedo prevenir CWE-451?
Perform data validation (e.g. syntax, length, etc.) before interpreting the data. Create a strategy for presenting information, and plan for how to display unusual characters.
¿Cómo detecta y corrige Plexicus CWE-451?
El motor SAST de Plexicus detecta la firma de flujo de datos para CWE-451 en cada commit. Cuando hay coincidencia, nuestro agente Codex Remedium abre un PR de corrección con el código corregido, las pruebas y un resumen de una línea para el revisor.
¿Dónde puedo aprender más sobre CWE-451?
MITRE publica la definición canónica en https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/451.html. También puedes consultar la documentación de OWASP y NIST para guías relacionadas.
Debilidades relacionadas
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