CWE-471: Modification of Assumed-Immutable Data (MAID)
Description
The product does not properly protect an assumed-immutable element from being modified by an attacker.
This occurs when a particular input is critical enough to the functioning of the application that it should not be modifiable at all, but it is. Certain resources are often assumed to be immutable when they are not, such as hidden form fields in web applications, cookies, and reverse DNS lookups.
- Abstraction
- BaseA weakness specific enough to point to detection and prevention methods.
- Likelihood of exploit
- Not rated by MITRE
- Status
- Draft
Common consequences
- Integrity
Modify Application Data
Common data types that are attacked are environment variables, web application parameters, and HTTP headers.
- Integrity
Unexpected State
Potential mitigations
- Architecture and DesignOperationImplementation
When the data is stored or transmitted through untrusted sources that could modify the data, implement integrity checks to detect unauthorized modification, or store/transmit the data in a trusted location that is free from external influence.