Description
A product inherits a set of insecure permissions for an object, e.g. when copying from an archive file, without user awareness or involvement.
Potential Impact
Confidentiality, Integrity
Read Application Data, Modify Application Data
Mitigations & Prevention
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area. Ensure that appropriate compartmentalization is built into the system design, and the compartmentalization allows for and reinforces privilege separation functionality. Architects and designers should rely on the principle of least
Real-World CVE Examples
| CVE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CVE-2005-1724 | Does not obey specified permissions when exporting. |
Related Weaknesses
Taxonomy Mappings
- PLOVER: — Insecure preserved inherited permissions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CWE-278?
CWE-278 (Insecure Preserved Inherited Permissions) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Variant-level weakness. A product inherits a set of insecure permissions for an object, e.g. when copying from an archive file, without user awareness or involvement.
How can CWE-278 be exploited?
Attackers can exploit CWE-278 (Insecure Preserved Inherited Permissions) to read application data, modify application data. This weakness is typically introduced during the Architecture and Design, Operation phase of software development.
How do I prevent CWE-278?
Key mitigations include: Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
What is the severity of CWE-278?
CWE-278 is classified as a Variant-level weakness (Low-Medium abstraction). It has been observed in 1 real-world CVEs.