CWE-1269: Product Released in Non-Release Configuration

What is Product Released in Non-Release Configuration?

• Overview: This vulnerability occurs when a product is released to the market while still in a pre-production or manufacturing configuration. It means the product retains debug capabilities and settings intended for development, which can greatly increase its susceptibility to attacks.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers can exploit debug hooks to bypass cryptographic checks, such as authentication and authorization.
• They may read, write, or modify internal states, including registers and memory.
• Attackers can alter system configurations or execute unauthorized commands.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences include unauthorized access to sensitive data or system functionalities.
• Potential cascading effects involve further system compromises and data breaches.
• Business impact includes reputational damage, loss of customer trust, and potential financial losses due to breaches or regulatory fines.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Ensure that all development and pre-production configurations are removed or disabled before release.
• Implement a thorough review process to verify that manufacturing or debug settings are not present in the production release.
• Use automated tools to detect and alert on non-release configurations in code.
• Collaborate closely with all parties involved in the production process to ensure proper configuration settings are applied.
• Regularly audit and test the final product to confirm compliance with production security standards.

Corgea can automatically detect and fix Product Released in Non-Release Configuration in your codebase. [Try Corgea free today](https://corgea.app).

Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified

Affected Languages: VHDL, Verilog, Compiled

Affected Technologies: Other, Not Technology-Specific

Vulnerable Code Example

-- This VHDL code snippet is part of a larger system and is configured for debugging.
-- The configuration should only be used during development and testing.

library IEEE;
use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_1164.ALL;

entity DebugConfig is
    Port ( clk : in STD_LOGIC;
           reset : in STD_LOGIC;
           debug_signal : out STD_LOGIC); -- Debug signal used only in testing
end DebugConfig;

architecture Behavioral of DebugConfig is
begin
    process(clk, reset)
    begin
        if rising_edge(clk) then
            if reset = '1' then
                debug_signal <= '0'; -- Debug signal reset logic
            else
                debug_signal <= '1'; -- Debug signal active logic
            end if;
        end if;
    end process;
end Behavioral;

Explanation

The above code includes a debug_signal that is always active when the system is not in reset. This is a typical example of a configuration used during development and testing but should not be included in a production release. Leaving such debug configurations in the final product can expose internal logic, reduce performance, or even lead to security vulnerabilities.

How to fix Product Released in Non-Release Configuration?

To fix the vulnerability of releasing a product in a non-release configuration, remove or conditionally compile any debug or non-production code. This ensures that the final product does not include test or debug configurations that could expose internal logic or reduce performance.

In VHDL, this can be accomplished by using configuration management techniques, such as defining synthesis directives or using generate statements to conditionally include debug logic only when specific flags are set. This ensures that debug code is not included in the production build.

Fixed Code Example

-- The fixed VHDL code uses a configuration constant to conditionally include debug logic.
-- This ensures that the debug signal is included only in non-production configurations.

library IEEE;
use IEEE.STD_LOGIC_1164.ALL;

entity Config is
    Port ( clk : in STD_LOGIC;
           reset : in STD_LOGIC;
           debug_signal : out STD_LOGIC);
end Config;

architecture Behavioral of Config is
    constant DEBUG_MODE : boolean := false; -- Configuration constant for debug mode
begin
    process(clk, reset)
    begin
        if rising_edge(clk) then
            if reset = '1' then
                debug_signal <= '0';
            else
                if DEBUG_MODE then
                    debug_signal <= '1'; -- Debug signal active only if DEBUG_MODE is true
                else
                    debug_signal <= '0'; -- Default to inactive in production
                end if;
            end if;
        end if;
    end process;
end Behavioral;

Explanation

In the fixed code, we introduce a DEBUG_MODE constant that controls whether the debug signal logic is included in the design. By setting DEBUG_MODE to false, the debug logic is effectively disabled in the production environment, ensuring that the final product does not contain unnecessary and potentially harmful debug configurations. This approach allows for easy toggling between development and production configurations without modifying the core logic of the system.