CWE-449: The UI Performs the Wrong Action

What is The UI Performs the Wrong Action?

• Overview: The UI Performs the Wrong Action vulnerability occurs when a user interface does not accurately carry out the action intended by the user's input, leading to unexpected or incorrect behavior within the application.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating UI elements to perform unintended actions, potentially through social engineering or by exploiting logical flaws.
• Common attack patterns include leveraging misleading UI elements, exploiting race conditions, and taking advantage of improper event handling.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences of successful exploitation include unauthorized actions being performed, such as incorrect data processing or unintended transactions.
• Potential cascading effects could involve data corruption, loss of data integrity, and compromised user trust.
• Business impact may include reputational damage, financial loss, and legal liabilities due to non-compliance with data protection regulations.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Specific code-level fixes involve validating user inputs and ensuring that UI actions are correctly mapped to user intentions.
• Security best practices include implementing thorough testing of UI components, using secure coding guidelines, and conducting regular code reviews.
• Recommended tools and frameworks include static analysis tools to identify logical flaws and UI testing frameworks to ensure proper action mapping.

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Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified

Affected Languages: Not Language-Specific

Affected Technologies: Not specified

Vulnerable Code Example

JavaScript Example

// This JavaScript function is intended to handle two different button actions
// based on the button ID. However, it incorrectly uses a substring check
// that can cause the UI to perform the wrong action if button IDs are similar.

function handleButtonClick(event) {
    const buttonId = event.target.id;

    if (buttonId.includes("save")) { 
        console.log("Saving data...");
        // Code to save data
    } else if (buttonId.includes("delete")) { 
        console.log("Deleting data...");
        // Code to delete data
    }
}

Explanation of Vulnerability

In the code above, the handleButtonClick function determines the action to perform based on whether the button ID includes certain substrings. If a button has an ID such as saveAndDelete, it may trigger both actions, leading to unintended and potentially harmful operations. This is a classic example of CWE-449 where the UI performs the wrong action. The use of substring checks (includes) can lead to incorrect action mapping, especially when button IDs are poorly named or overlap in their identifiers.

How to fix The UI Performs the Wrong Action?

To fix this issue, we need to ensure that the button actions are explicitly mapped to specific button IDs. The use of precise string comparisons rather than substring checks will prevent accidental execution of unintended actions. Each button should have a unique and clear identifier that is directly compared to determine the action.

Fixed Code Example

// This fixed version of the function uses strict equality checks to ensure
// that only the intended action is performed for each specific button ID.

function handleButtonClick(event) {
    const buttonId = event.target.id;

    if (buttonId === "saveButton") { 
        console.log("Saving data...");
        // Code to save data
    } else if (buttonId === "deleteButton") { 
        console.log("Deleting data...");
        // Code to delete data
    } else {
        console.warn("Unknown action. No operation performed."); 
    }
}

Explanation of Fix

In the fixed code, we use strict equality checks (===) to compare the button ID with specific strings ("saveButton" and "deleteButton"). This ensures that only the correct action is performed when the respective button is clicked. Additionally, we handle unexpected button IDs gracefully by logging a warning. By using precise ID checks, we eliminate the risk of executing unintended actions, thus addressing the CWE-449 vulnerability effectively. This approach ensures that each button action is uniquely and explicitly defined, preventing any overlap or incorrect action execution.