CWE-1192: Improper Identifier for IP Block used in System-On-Chip (SOC)

What is Improper Identifier for IP Block used in System-On-Chip (SOC)?

• Overview: Improper Identifier for IP Block used in System-On-Chip (SoC) occurs when the SoC fails to assign unique, immutable identifiers to each of its components, leading to potential security vulnerabilities.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by impersonating or masquerading as a different IP block within the SoC.
• Common attack patterns include unauthorized access to sensitive functions, data leakage, and privilege escalation by exploiting identifier weaknesses.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences include unauthorized access to sensitive information and the execution of privileged operations by malicious entities.
• Potential cascading effects include compromise of the entire SoC, affecting all connected systems and devices.
• Business impact may involve data breaches, loss of intellectual property, and significant financial and reputational damage.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Specific code-level fixes involve implementing mechanisms to ensure each IP block has a unique, immutable identifier.
• Security best practices include regularly auditing identifier mechanisms and ensuring they are correctly configured and enforced.
• Recommended tools and frameworks involve using hardware security modules (HSMs) and trusted platform modules (TPMs) that support secure identification techniques.

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Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified

Affected Languages: Not Language-Specific

Affected Technologies: System on Chip

Vulnerable Code Example

class SOC:
    def __init__(self, ip_blocks):
        # Vulnerable: IP blocks are identified by mutable, non-unique names
        self.ip_blocks = {block['name']: block for block in ip_blocks}

# Example usage
ip_blocks = [
    {'name': 'block1', 'address': '0x01'},
    {'name': 'block2', 'address': '0x02'},
    {'name': 'block1', 'address': '0x03'}  # Duplicate name causes overwriting
]
soc = SOC(ip_blocks)

Explanation of Vulnerability

In this example, the System-on-Chip (SoC) is initialized with a dictionary of IP blocks using the block's name as a key. This approach is vulnerable because:

• Non-unique Identifiers: If two IP blocks have the same name, the latter will overwrite the former, leading to potential loss of configuration or misconfiguration.
• Mutable Identifiers: Using mutable data (like strings) as unique identifiers may allow unintended modifications, which could lead to security issues or data integrity problems.

How to fix Improper Identifier for IP Block used in System-On-Chip (SOC)?

To fix this issue, each IP block should have a unique, immutable identifier, such as a UUID (Universally Unique Identifier), which ensures that each block can be distinctly and reliably referenced. This prevents accidental overwrites and ensures the integrity of the system configuration.

Fixed Code Example

import uuid  # Import the uuid module to generate unique identifiers

class SOC:
    def __init__(self, ip_blocks):
        # Fixed: Assign a unique, immutable UUID to each IP block
        self.ip_blocks = {
            str(uuid.uuid4()): block for block in ip_blocks
        }

# Example usage
ip_blocks = [
    {'name': 'block1', 'address': '0x01'},
    {'name': 'block2', 'address': '0x02'},
    {'name': 'block1', 'address': '0x03'}
]
soc = SOC(ip_blocks)

Explanation of Fix

• Unique, Immutable Identifiers: By using uuid.uuid4(), each IP block is assigned a globally unique identifier that is immutable, ensuring no two blocks can accidentally share the same identifier.
• Data Integrity: This approach prevents overwriting IP blocks with the same name, maintaining the integrity and reliability of the SoC configuration.
• Best Practices: Using UUIDs is a common best practice for generating unique identifiers in distributed systems, as it minimizes the risk of collisions and ensures consistency across different environments.