Base · Medium

CWE-1104: Use of Unmaintained Third Party Components

The product relies on third-party components that are not actively supported or maintained by the original developer or a trusted proxy for the original developer.

CWE-1104 · Base Level ·2 CVEs

Description

The product relies on third-party components that are not actively supported or maintained by the original developer or a trusted proxy for the original developer.

Potential Impact

Other

Reduce Maintainability, Varies by Context

Detection Methods

  • 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 sea

Real-World CVE Examples

CVE IDDescription
CVE-2025-40906Perl module for BSON serialization includes a component that reached end-of-life approximately five years previously, but has multiple vulnerabilities.
CVE-2024-35252Closed-source cloud storage product includes an unmaintained third-party component that allows denial of service

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-1104?

CWE-1104 (Use of Unmaintained Third Party Components) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Base-level weakness. The product relies on third-party components that are not actively supported or maintained by the original developer or a trusted proxy for the original developer.

How can CWE-1104 be exploited?

Attackers can exploit CWE-1104 (Use of Unmaintained Third Party Components) to reduce maintainability, varies by context. This weakness is typically introduced during the Architecture and Design phase of software development.

How do I prevent CWE-1104?

Follow secure coding practices, conduct code reviews, and use automated security testing tools (SAST/DAST) to detect this weakness early in the development lifecycle.

What is the severity of CWE-1104?

CWE-1104 is classified as a Base-level weakness (Medium abstraction). It has been observed in 2 real-world CVEs.