Cryptographic Failures
Failures related to cryptography which often lead to sensitive data exposure. This includes using weak algorithms, improper key management, and missing encryption.
Overview
Dropped to #4 from #2. Focuses on failures related to cryptography which often leads to sensitive data exposure or system compromise. 3.80% incidence rate across tested applications.
How Attackers Exploit This
Understanding attack patterns helps you build better defenses. These are the techniques security teams watch for.
Data exposure in transit
Sensitive data transmitted over unencrypted connections can be intercepted. This includes passwords, session tokens, and personal information.
Weak cryptographic storage
Data stored with weak or broken encryption (MD5, SHA1, DES) can be recovered by attackers who gain database access.
Hardcoded secrets
API keys, passwords, or encryption keys embedded in source code can be extracted from repositories or compiled binaries.
How to Prevent
- Classify data processed, stored, or transmitted by an application
- Don't store sensitive data unnecessarily
- Encrypt all sensitive data at rest using modern algorithms
- Use up-to-date and strong standard algorithms and protocols
- Encrypt all data in transit with secure protocols such as TLS 1.3
- Disable caching for responses containing sensitive data
- Store passwords using strong salted hashing functions (Argon2, bcrypt, scrypt)
CWEs with Shoulder Detection (9)
These CWEs have Shoulder detection rules. Click to see specific vulnerabilities and fixes.
Other Mapped CWEs (22)
These CWEs are mapped to this category. Use MITRE references for guidance.