CWE-1068: Inconsistency Between Implementation and Documented Design

What is Inconsistency Between Implementation and Documented Design?

• Overview: The vulnerability known as CWE-1068 occurs when there is a mismatch between the software's implementation and its documented design. This inconsistency can lead to maintenance challenges and security issues, as developers may struggle to understand, locate, and address vulnerabilities effectively.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by targeting discrepancies between the documented design and the actual implementation to find unexpected behaviors or weaknesses.
• Common attack patterns include reverse engineering to detect differences and exploiting these gaps to bypass security controls or input validations.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences of successful exploitation include unauthorized access, data leaks, or execution of unintended code paths.
• Potential cascading effects might involve the introduction of new vulnerabilities as a result of incomplete or misunderstood fixes.
• Business impact includes increased costs due to prolonged maintenance efforts, potential data breaches, and a damaged reputation.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Specific code-level fixes include ensuring that implementation strictly adheres to the documented design and updating documentation to reflect any necessary deviations accurately.
• Security best practices involve regular audits and code reviews to ensure consistency between documentation and implementation.
• Recommended tools and frameworks include automated documentation tools that synchronize with code changes, and static analysis tools that can flag deviations from design specifications.

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Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified

Affected Languages: Not specified

Affected Technologies: Not Technology-Specific, ICS/OT