CWE-262: Not Using Password Aging
Description
The product does not have a mechanism in place for managing password aging.
Password aging (or password rotation) is a policy that forces users to change their passwords after a defined time period passes, such as every 30 or 90 days. Without mechanisms such as aging, users might not change their passwords in a timely manner. Note that while password aging was once considered an important security feature, it has since fallen out of favor by many, because it is not as effective against modern threats compared to other mechanisms such as slow hashes. In addition, forcing frequent changes can unintentionally encourage users to select less-secure passwords. However, password aging is still in use due to factors such as compliance requirements, e.g., Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
- Abstraction
- BaseA weakness specific enough to point to detection and prevention methods.
- Likelihood of exploit
- Low
- Status
- Draft
Common consequences
- Access Control
Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
As passwords age, the probability that they are compromised grows.
Potential mitigations
- Architecture and Design
As part of a product's design, require users to change their passwords regularly and avoid reusing previous passwords.
- ImplementationEffectiveness: Discouraged Common Practice
Developers might disable clipboard paste operations into password fields as a way to discourage users from pasting a password into a clipboard. However, this might encourage users to choose less-secure passwords that are easier to type, and it can reduce the usability of password managers.
Related weaknesses
CAPEC attack patterns that exploit it
- CAPEC-16Dictionary-based Password Attack
- CAPEC-49Password Brute Forcing
- CAPEC-55Rainbow Table Password Cracking
- CAPEC-70Try Common or Default Usernames and Passwords
- CAPEC-509Kerberoasting
- CAPEC-555Remote Services with Stolen Credentials
- CAPEC-560Use of Known Domain Credentials
- CAPEC-561Windows Admin Shares with Stolen Credentials
- CAPEC-565Password Spraying
- CAPEC-600Credential Stuffing
- CAPEC-652Use of Known Kerberos Credentials
- CAPEC-653Use of Known Operating System Credentials