Description
The product provides or relies on use of HTTP communications when HTTPS is available.
Because HTTP communications are not encrypted, HTTP is subject to various attacks against confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. However, unlike many other protocols, HTTPS is widely available as a more secure alternative, because it uses encryption.
Potential Impact
Confidentiality, Integrity
Read Application Data, Modify Application Data
Mitigations & Prevention
Explicitly require HTTPS or another mechanism that ensures that communication is encrypted [REF-1464].
Avoid using "mixed content," i.e., serving a web page over HTTPS in which the page includes elements that use "http:" URLs [REF-1466] [REF-1467]. This is often done for images or other resources that do not seem to have privacy or security implications.
Perform "HTTPS forcing," that is, redirecting HTTP requests to HTTPS.
If the product supports multiple protocols, ensure that encrypted protocols (such as HTTPS) are required, and remove any unencrypted protocols (such as HTTP).
Related Weaknesses
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CWE-1428?
CWE-1428 (Reliance on HTTP instead of HTTPS) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Base-level weakness. The product provides or relies on use of HTTP communications when HTTPS is available.
How can CWE-1428 be exploited?
Attackers can exploit CWE-1428 (Reliance on HTTP instead of HTTPS) to read application data, modify application data. This weakness is typically introduced during the Architecture and Design, Requirements, Implementation, Implementation, Operation phase of software development.
How do I prevent CWE-1428?
Key mitigations include: Explicitly require HTTPS or another mechanism that ensures that communication is encrypted [REF-1464].
What is the severity of CWE-1428?
CWE-1428 is classified as a Base-level weakness (Medium abstraction). Its actual severity depends on the specific context and how the weakness manifests in your application.