CWE-419: Unprotected Primary Channel

What is Unprotected Primary Channel?

• Overview: The Unprotected Primary Channel vulnerability (CWE-419) occurs when a software product uses a main communication channel for sensitive operations like administration but fails to secure this channel adequately, making it susceptible to unauthorized access.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by intercepting unencrypted communications on the primary channel to gain access to sensitive operations.
• Common attack patterns include man-in-the-middle attacks, where attackers eavesdrop on or alter the communication, and brute-force attacks on weak authentication mechanisms.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences of successful exploitation include unauthorized access to administrative functions or sensitive data.
• Potential cascading effects could lead to further system compromise, data breaches, or control over the application.
• Business impact includes loss of customer trust, legal penalties, and financial losses due to data breaches or service downtime.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Specific code-level fixes include implementing strong encryption protocols (e.g., TLS) for data transmitted over the primary channel.
• Security best practices involve enforcing strong authentication and access controls for administrative functions.
• Recommended tools and frameworks include using security libraries that provide robust encryption and authentication mechanisms, such as OpenSSL or other vetted cryptographic frameworks.

Corgea can automatically detect and fix Unprotected Primary Channel in your codebase. [Try Corgea free today](https://corgea.app).

Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified

Affected Languages: Not Language-Specific

Affected Technologies: Not specified

Vulnerable Code Example

Sure, let's improve the code examples for CWE-419 (Unprotected Primary Channel) and ensure they meet the specified criteria.

// This code sets up an admin channel using HTTP without encryption.
// Anyone sniffing the network can intercept administrative commands.
const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    // Admin command handling
    if (req.url.startsWith('/admin')) { // Admin endpoint is exposed without encryption
        // Perform administrative tasks
        res.writeHead(200, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
        res.end('Admin task performed'); // Response is sent over an unencrypted channel
    } else {
        res.writeHead(404, {'Content-Type': 'text/plain'});
        res.end('Not Found');
    }
});

server.listen(8080, () => console.log('Server running on http://localhost:8080'));

Issues in Vulnerable Code:

• Unencrypted HTTP: The admin endpoint is exposed over HTTP, making it susceptible to eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Lack of Authentication: There is no mechanism to authenticate users, allowing anyone to access the admin endpoint.

How to fix Unprotected Primary Channel?

Fixed Code Example

const https = require('https');
const fs = require('fs');
const express = require('express');
const basicAuth = require('express-basic-auth');

// Load SSL certificate and key
const options = {
    key: fs.readFileSync('server-key.pem'), // SSL key for HTTPS
    cert: fs.readFileSync('server-cert.pem') // SSL certificate for HTTPS
};

const app = express();

// Implement basic authentication
app.use('/admin', basicAuth({
    users: { 'admin': 'supersecret' }, // User credentials for accessing admin endpoint
    unauthorizedResponse: 'Unauthorized'
}));

// Secure admin endpoint
app.get('/admin', (req, res) => {
    // Perform administrative tasks securely
    res.status(200).send('Admin task performed securely'); // Response is sent over an encrypted channel
});

https.createServer(options, app).listen(8443, () => console.log('Secure server running on https://localhost:8443'));

Explanation of Changes:

• Lines {3-4}: Configured an HTTPS server by loading SSL certificates, ensuring all data is encrypted.
• Line {9}: Added basic authentication for the /admin route to restrict access to authorized users only.
• Lines {13-15}: Replaced the HTTP server with an Express HTTPS server, securing administrative tasks behind authentication and encryption.
• Line {21}: Changed the server to listen on HTTPS (port 8443), ensuring all communications are secure.

These changes ensure that the administrative channel is protected against unauthorized access and data interception, following best practices for secure communication.