Description
While it is executing, the product sets the permissions of an object in a way that violates the intended permissions that have been specified by the user.
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
Detection Methods
- Automated Static Analysis — 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 ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CVE-2002-0265 | Log files opened read/write. |
| CVE-2003-0876 | Log files opened read/write. |
| CVE-2002-1694 | Log files opened read/write. |
Related Weaknesses
Taxonomy Mappings
- PLOVER: — Insecure execution-assigned permissions
- CERT C Secure Coding: FIO06-C — Create files with appropriate access permissions
- The CERT Oracle Secure Coding Standard for Java (2011): FIO01-J — Create files with appropriate access permission
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CWE-279?
CWE-279 (Incorrect Execution-Assigned Permissions) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Variant-level weakness. While it is executing, the product sets the permissions of an object in a way that violates the intended permissions that have been specified by the user.
How can CWE-279 be exploited?
Attackers can exploit CWE-279 (Incorrect Execution-Assigned Permissions) to read application data, modify application data. This weakness is typically introduced during the Implementation, Architecture and Design, Operation phase of software development.
How do I prevent CWE-279?
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-279?
CWE-279 is classified as a Variant-level weakness (Low-Medium abstraction). It has been observed in 3 real-world CVEs.