CWE-309: Use of Password System for Primary Authentication

What is Use of Password System for Primary Authentication?

• Overview: The vulnerability CWE-309 refers to the reliance on password systems as the primary means of authentication, which can be inherently flawed. Passwords can be weak, reused, or stolen, making them a less reliable security measure.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by using techniques such as brute force attacks, phishing, or credential stuffing.
• Common attack patterns include intercepting passwords through man-in-the-middle attacks, leveraging weak password policies, and exploiting password reuse across different services.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences of successful exploitation include unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data.
• Potential cascading effects may involve data breaches, identity theft, and further exploitation of compromised systems.
• Business impact can include financial loss, reputational damage, and legal consequences due to non-compliance with data protection regulations.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to supplement passwords and enhance security.
• Enforce strong password policies, including complexity requirements and regular expiration.
• Use tools and frameworks that offer secure password hashing and storage mechanisms, such as bcrypt or Argon2.
• Educate users on the importance of unique passwords and secure practices to prevent phishing and social engineering attacks.

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Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: High

Affected Languages: Not Language-Specific

Affected Technologies: Not specified

Password systems are the simplest and most ubiquitous authentication mechanisms. However, they are subject to such well known attacks,and such frequent compromise that their use in the most simple implementation is not practical.

Vulnerable Code Example

import hashlib

def authenticate(username, password):
    # Retrieve the stored password directly from the database without hashing or salting
    stored_password = get_stored_password_for_user(username)  # Assume this retrieves the password from a database

    # Directly compare the stored password with the user-provided password
    # This approach lacks password hashing and salting, making it vulnerable to attacks
    if stored_password == password:
        return True
    return False

Explanation:

• The code stores and compares passwords directly without any hashing or salting, making it vulnerable to attacks if the database is compromised.
• If an attacker gains access to the stored passwords, they can easily read and use them, leading to unauthorized access.

How to fix Use of Password System for Primary Authentication?

Fix Approach:

1. Hashing Passwords: Use a secure hashing algorithm (e.g., bcrypt, Argon2) to hash passwords before storing them. This makes it infeasible for attackers to retrieve the original password even if they gain access to the stored hash.
2. Salting Passwords: Add a unique salt for each password before hashing. This prevents attackers from using precomputed tables (rainbow tables) to crack passwords.
3. Use a Library: Utilize well-established libraries for password handling, such as bcrypt in Python, which handle both hashing and salting securely.

Fixed Code Example

import bcrypt

def hash_password(password):
    # Generate a salt and hash the password
    salt = bcrypt.gensalt()
    hashed = bcrypt.hashpw(password.encode('utf-8'), salt)
    return hashed

def authenticate(username, password):
    # Retrieve the stored password hash from the database
    stored_password_hash = get_stored_password_for_user(username)  # Assume this retrieves the hashed password from a database

    # Securely compare the hashed password with the stored hash
    # bcrypt handles salting and hashing, providing a secure comparison
    if bcrypt.checkpw(password.encode('utf-8'), stored_password_hash):
        return True
    return False

Explanation:

• The hash_password function uses bcrypt to generate a salt and hash the password. This hash is what should be stored in the database.
• The authenticate function retrieves the hashed password from the database and uses bcrypt.checkpw to securely compare the user-provided password with the stored hash.
• This approach ensures that even if the database is compromised, the passwords remain secure and resistant to attacks. Using bcrypt provides robust protection against common attack vectors such as brute force and rainbow table attacks.