CWE-1431: Driving Intermediate Cryptographic State/Results to Hardware Module Outputs
Description
The product uses a hardware module implementing a cryptographic algorithm that writes sensitive information about the intermediate state or results of its cryptographic operations via one of its output wires (typically the output port containing the final result).
- Abstraction
- BaseA weakness specific enough to point to detection and prevention methods.
- Likelihood of exploit
- Not rated by MITRE
- Status
- Incomplete
Common consequences
- Confidentiality
Read Memory; Read Application Data
Mathematically sound cryptographic algorithms rely on their correct implementation for security. These assumptions might break when a hardware crypto module leaks intermediate encryption states or results such that they can be observed by an adversary. If intermediate state is observed, it might be possible for an...
Potential mitigations
- Architecture and DesignEffectiveness: High
Designers/developers should add or modify existing control flow logic along any data flow paths that connect sources (signals with intermediate cryptographic state/results) with sinks (hardware module outputs and other signals outside of trusted cryptographic zone). The control flow logic should only allow cryptographic results to be driven to sinks when appropriate conditions are satisfied (typically when the final result for a cryptographic operation has been generated). When the appropriate conditions are not satisfied (i.e., before or during a cryptographic operation), the control flow...
- ImplementationEffectiveness: High
Designers/developers should add or modify existing control flow logic along any data flow paths that connect sources (signals with intermediate cryptographic state/results) with sinks (hardware module outputs and other signals outside of trusted cryptographic zone). The control flow logic should only allow cryptographic results to be driven to sinks when appropriate conditions are satisfied (typically when the final result for a cryptographic operation has been generated). When the appropriate conditions are not satisfied (i.e., before or during a cryptographic operation), the control flow...
Related weaknesses
CAPEC attack patterns that exploit it
CWE 4.20 links no CAPEC attack pattern to this weakness.