CWE-1189: Improper Isolation of Shared Resources on System-on-a-Chip (SoC)
Description
The System-On-a-Chip (SoC) does not properly isolate shared resources between trusted and untrusted agents.
A System-On-a-Chip (SoC) has a lot of functionality, but it may have a limited number of pins or pads. A pin can only perform one function at a time. However, it can be configured to perform multiple different functions. This technique is called pin multiplexing. Similarly, several resources on the chip may be shared to multiplex and support different features or functions. When such resources are shared between trusted and untrusted agents, untrusted agents may be able to access the assets intended to be accessed only by the trusted agents.
- Abstraction
- BaseA weakness specific enough to point to detection and prevention methods.
- Likelihood of exploit
- Not rated by MITRE
- Status
- Stable
Common consequences
- Access Control
Bypass Protection Mechanism
If resources being used by a trusted user are shared with an untrusted user, the untrusted user may be able to modify the functionality of the shared resource of the trusted user.
- Integrity
Quality Degradation
The functionality of the shared resource may be intentionally degraded.
Potential mitigations
- Architecture and DesignSeparation of Privilege
When sharing resources, avoid mixing agents of varying trust levels. Untrusted agents should not share resources with trusted agents.