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CWE-648 Base Incompleto
Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs
This vulnerability occurs when software incorrectly uses functions that require special permissions. Attackers can exploit these mistakes to gain unauthorized access, elevate their privileges, or…
Definição
What is CWE-648?
This vulnerability occurs when software incorrectly uses functions that require special permissions. Attackers can exploit these mistakes to gain unauthorized access, elevate their privileges, or steal sensitive data.
Functions that require elevated privileges (privileged APIs) demand careful handling. As a developer, you must validate all arguments, understand the API's internal security assumptions, and only call it from a secure, controlled context. Failing to meet the API's specific requirements creates an opening for attackers to hijack the process or its permissions.
Privileged functions often maintain their high-level access after execution or make critical assumptions about the data you provide. You must thoroughly review the API's behavior—knowing when and how to call it—to ensure its power cannot be misdirected. Always account for known weaknesses in the API's own design to prevent your correct usage from being bypassed.
Impacto no mundo real
Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-648
-
A Unix utility that displays online help files, if installed setuid, could allow a local attacker to gain privileges when a particular file-opening function is called.
Como os atacantes a exploram
Trajeto do atacante passo a passo
- 1
Identificar um caminho de código que trata input não confiável sem validação.
- 2
Criar um payload que explora o comportamento inseguro — injeção, traversal, overflow ou abuso de lógica.
- 3
Entregar o payload através de um pedido normal e observar a reação da aplicação.
- 4
Iterar até que a resposta exponha dados, execute código do atacante ou escale privilégios.
Exemplo de código vulnerável
Vulnerable pseudo
A MITRE não publicou um exemplo de código para este CWE. O padrão abaixo é ilustrativo — consulte os Recursos para referências canónicas.
// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
// Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
return executeUnsafe(input);
} Exemplo 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 verificação de prevenção
How to prevent CWE-648
- Implementation Before calling privileged APIs, always ensure that the assumptions made by the privileged code hold true prior to making the call.
- Architecture and Design Know architecture and implementation weaknesses of the privileged APIs and make sure to account for these weaknesses before calling the privileged APIs to ensure that they can be called safely.
- Implementation If privileged APIs make certain assumptions about data, context or state validity that are passed by the caller, the calling code must ensure that these assumptions have been validated prior to making the call.
- Implementation If privileged APIs do not shed their privilege prior to returning to the calling code, then calling code needs to shed these privileges immediately and safely right after the call to the privileged APIs. In particular, the calling code needs to ensure that a privileged thread of execution will never be returned to the user or made available to user-controlled processes.
- Implementation Only call privileged APIs from safe, consistent and expected state.
- Implementation Ensure that a failure or an error will not leave a system in a state where privileges are not properly shed and privilege escalation is possible (i.e. fail securely with regards to handling of privileges).
Sinais de deteção
How to detect CWE-648
Executar testes dinâmicos de segurança de aplicações (DAST) contra o endpoint em execução.
Monitorizar os registos em tempo de execução para traços de exceção invulgares, input malformado ou tentativas de contornar a autorização.
Revisão de código: sinalizar qualquer novo código que trate input desta superfície sem usar os ajudantes validados do framework.
CWE-648
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.
Perguntas frequentes O que é o CWE-648?
Qual a gravidade do CWE-648?
Que linguagens ou plataformas são afetadas pelo CWE-648?
Como posso prevenir o CWE-648?
Como é que o Plexicus deteta e corrige o CWE-648?
Onde posso saber mais sobre o CWE-648?
Frequently asked questions
O que é o CWE-648?
This vulnerability occurs when software incorrectly uses functions that require special permissions. Attackers can exploit these mistakes to gain unauthorized access, elevate their privileges, or steal sensitive data.
Qual a gravidade do CWE-648?
A MITRE classifica a probabilidade de exploração como Baixa — a exploração é pouco comum, mas a fraqueza deve mesmo assim ser corrigida quando descoberta.
Que linguagens ou plataformas são afetadas pelo CWE-648?
A MITRE não especificou as plataformas afetadas por este CWE — pode aplicar-se à maioria das stacks de aplicações.
Como posso prevenir o CWE-648?
Before calling privileged APIs, always ensure that the assumptions made by the privileged code hold true prior to making the call. Know architecture and implementation weaknesses of the privileged APIs and make sure to account for these weaknesses before calling the privileged APIs to ensure that they can be called safely.
Como é que o Plexicus deteta e corrige o CWE-648?
O motor SAST do Plexicus correlaciona a assinatura de fluxo de dados do CWE-648 em cada commit. Quando é encontrada uma correspondência, o nosso agente Codex Remedium abre um PR de correção com o código corrigido, testes e um resumo de uma linha para o revisor.
Onde posso saber mais sobre o CWE-648?
A MITRE publica a definição canónica em https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/648.html. Pode também consultar a documentação da OWASP e do NIST para orientações adjacentes.
Fraquezas relacionadas
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Pronto para validar o que importa.
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