Base · Medium

CWE-511: Logic/Time Bomb

The product contains code that is designed to disrupt the legitimate operation of the product (or its environment) when a certain time passes, or when a certain logical condition is met.

CWE-511 · Base Level ·1 Mitigations

Description

The product contains code that is designed to disrupt the legitimate operation of the product (or its environment) when a certain time passes, or when a certain logical condition is met.

When the time bomb or logic bomb is detonated, it may perform a denial of service such as crashing the system, deleting critical data, or degrading system response time. This bomb might be placed within either a replicating or non-replicating Trojan horse.

Potential Impact

Other, Integrity

Varies by Context, Alter Execution Logic

Mitigations & Prevention

Installation

Always verify the integrity of the product that is being installed.

Detection Methods

  • Automated Static Analysis — Conduct a code coverage analysis using live testing, then closely inspect any code that is not covered.

Taxonomy Mappings

  • Landwehr: — Logic/Time Bomb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-511?

CWE-511 (Logic/Time Bomb) is a software weakness identified by MITRE's Common Weakness Enumeration. It is classified as a Base-level weakness. The product contains code that is designed to disrupt the legitimate operation of the product (or its environment) when a certain time passes, or when a certain logical condition is met.

How can CWE-511 be exploited?

Attackers can exploit CWE-511 (Logic/Time Bomb) to varies by context, alter execution logic. This weakness is typically introduced during the Architecture and Design, Implementation phase of software development.

How do I prevent CWE-511?

Key mitigations include: Always verify the integrity of the product that is being installed.

What is the severity of CWE-511?

CWE-511 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.