Description
The product performs a power or debug state transition, but it does not clear sensitive information that should no longer be accessible due to changes to information access restrictions.
A device or system frequently employs many power and sleep states during its normal operation (e.g., normal power, additional power, low power, hibernate, deep sleep, etc.). A device also may be operating within a debug condition. State transitions can happen from one power or debug state to another. If there is information available in the previous state which should not be available in the next state and is not properly removed before the transition into the next state, sensitive information may leak from the system.
Potential Impact
Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Access Control, Accountability, Authentication, Authorization, Non-Repudiation
Read Memory, Read Application Data
Demonstrative Examples
During the transition from A to B, the device does not scrub the memory.For transition from state A to state B, remove information which should not be available once the transition is complete.Mitigations & Prevention
During state transitions, information not needed in the next state should be removed before the transition to the next state.
Detection Methods
- Manual Analysis High — Write a known pattern into each sensitive location. Enter the power/debug state in question. Read data back from the sensitive locations. If the reads are successful, and the data is the same as the pattern that was originally written, the test fails and the device needs to be fixed. Note that this
Real-World CVE Examples
| CVE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CVE-2020-12926 | Product software does not set a flag as per TPM specifications, thereby preventing a failed authorization attempt from being recorded after a loss of power. |
Related Weaknesses
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CWE-1272?
CWE-1272 (Sensitive Information Uncleared Before Debug/Power State Transition) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Base-level weakness. The product performs a power or debug state transition, but it does not clear sensitive information that should no longer be accessible due to changes to information access restrictions.
How can CWE-1272 be exploited?
Attackers can exploit CWE-1272 (Sensitive Information Uncleared Before Debug/Power State Transition) to read memory, read application data. This weakness is typically introduced during the Architecture and Design phase of software development.
How do I prevent CWE-1272?
Key mitigations include: During state transitions, information not needed in the next state should be removed before the transition to the next state.
What is the severity of CWE-1272?
CWE-1272 is classified as a Base-level weakness (Medium abstraction). It has been observed in 1 real-world CVEs.