CWE-1429: Missing Security-Relevant Feedback for Unexecuted Operations in Hardware Interface

What is Missing Security-Relevant Feedback for Unexecuted Operations in Hardware Interface?

• Overview: This vulnerability occurs when a hardware interface fails to provide feedback for operations that are not executed, which is critical for detecting failures or attacks. This can lead to undetected issues, compromising data security and system stability.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers might exploit this by causing operations to fail quietly, disguising malicious activities.
• Common attack patterns include unauthorized write attempts or exploiting unacknowledged interrupts that result in system misinterpretation.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences include undetected data loss and security vulnerabilities.
• Potential cascading effects include system instability and the inability to promptly respond to attacks.
• Business impact can be severe with data breaches, loss of customer trust, and financial losses.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Implement robust error handling with explicit feedback mechanisms in hardware interfaces.
• Follow security best practices by ensuring critical operations log all errors and failures visibly to operators.
• Utilize recommended tools and frameworks that provide comprehensive error reporting and logging capabilities.

Corgea can automatically detect and fix Missing Security-Relevant Feedback for Unexecuted Operations in Hardware Interface in your codebase. [Try Corgea free today](https://corgea.app).

Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified

Affected Languages: C, C++, Verilog, Hardware Description Language, Not Language-Specific

Affected Technologies: Security Hardware, Processor Hardware, Microcontroller Hardware, System on Chip

Vulnerable Code Example

C Example

// Function to write data to a hardware device
int writeToDevice(int deviceDescriptor, const char *data) {
    // Attempt to write data to the device
    if (hardware_write(deviceDescriptor, data, strlen(data)) < 0) {
        // Silently ignores the error without any feedback
        return -1; // Operation failed
    }
    return 0; // Operation succeeded
}

Explanation:

• Vulnerability: The code attempts to write data to a hardware device but fails to provide any feedback when the operation fails. This lack of feedback may allow errors or potential attacks to go unnoticed, as the failure is silently discarded. Without proper error handling, crucial issues might not be detected, leading to security vulnerabilities or system instability.

How to fix Missing Security-Relevant Feedback for Unexecuted Operations in Hardware Interface?

To fix this issue, it is crucial to implement proper feedback mechanisms that alert the system or the user when an operation fails. This can involve logging the error, notifying an administrator, or retrying the operation if safe and appropriate. Additionally, error returns should be checked and handled appropriately, ensuring that failures are neither ignored nor unreported.

Specific Fixes:

1. Error Logging: Log the error details for later analysis. This helps in diagnosing issues and can provide evidence of potential security threats.
2. Notification: Depending on the system, notify the user or administrator about the failure.
3. Retry Mechanism: Implement a retry mechanism if the operation can be safely retried.
4. Return Detailed Error Codes: Instead of returning generic error codes, return more detailed information that can be used for troubleshooting.

Fixed Code Example

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>

// Hypothetical function to send alerts
void sendAlert(const char *message, int deviceDescriptor) {
    // Implementation to send alerts to a monitoring system
}

// Function to write data to a hardware device
int writeToDevice(int deviceDescriptor, const char *data) {
    int result = hardware_write(deviceDescriptor, data, strlen(data));
    if (result < 0) {
        // Log the error with details for analysis
        fprintf(stderr, "Error: Failed to write to device %d\n", deviceDescriptor);
        
        // Notify the administrator or user
        sendAlert("Write operation failed on device", deviceDescriptor);

        // Optionally, implement a retry mechanism
        for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
            result = hardware_write(deviceDescriptor, data, strlen(data));
            if (result >= 0) {
                return 0; // Retry succeeded
            }
        }
        
        return -1; // Operation failed after retries
    }
    return 0; // Operation succeeded
}

Explanation:

• Error Handling: The fixed code logs an error message if the write operation fails, providing crucial feedback on the failure.
• Notification: A hypothetical sendAlert function is added to notify relevant parties of the failure.
• Retry Mechanism: A retry loop attempts the operation up to three times before giving up, which can be helpful in transient error conditions.
• Detailed Feedback: The fixed code provides detailed information about the failure, which can be used for further analysis and preventive measures.