# Use of Hard-coded Password (CWE-259)

The product contains a hard-coded password, which it uses for its own inbound authentication or for outbound communication to external components.

- Prevalence: High Frequently exploited
- Impact: High 1 high-severity rules
- Prevention: Documented 1 fix examples

**OWASP:** Identification and Authentication Failures (A07:2021-Identification and Authentication Failures) - #7

## Description

Hard-coded passwords are easily discovered through reverse engineering and cannot be changed without modifying the software. This creates a significant security risk as the password becomes public knowledge.

## Prevention

Prevention strategies for Hardcoded Password based on 1 Shoulder detection rules.

### Node.js

Load passwords from environment variables instead of hardcoding

## Warning Signs

- [HIGH] Hardcoded weak password detected: ...
This password is easily guessable and should never be used in production.

- [HIGH] hardcoded weak passwords in database connections and configuration

## Consequences

- Gain Privileges
- Bypass Protection Mechanism

## Mitigations

- Store passwords in secure configuration files or environment variables
- Use a secure credential management system
- Generate random passwords during installation

## Detection

- Total rules: 1
- Languages: javascript, typescript

## Rules by Language

### Javascript (1 rules)

- **Hardcoded Weak Password** [HIGH]: Detects hardcoded weak passwords in database connections and configuration.

Common weak passwords like "password", "admin", "root", "secret", etc. are
easily guessed and should never be hardcoded in source code.

This rule complements the high-entropy secrets detection by catching
simple, well-known weak passwords that entropy-based detection would miss.
  - Remediation: Move credentials to environment variables:

Before:
  password: 'password'

After:
  password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD

Then set DB_PASSWORD in your environment or .env file.

### Typescript (1 rules)

- **Hardcoded Weak Password** [HIGH]: Detects hardcoded weak passwords in database connections and configuration.

Common weak passwords like "password", "admin", "root", "secret", etc. are
easily guessed and should never be hardcoded in source code.

This rule complements the high-entropy secrets detection by catching
simple, well-known weak passwords that entropy-based detection would miss.
  - Remediation: Move credentials to environment variables:

Before:
  password: 'password'

After:
  password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD

Then set DB_PASSWORD in your environment or .env file.