CWE-521: Weak Password Requirements

What is Weak Password Requirements?

• Overview: Weak Password Requirements (CWE-521) refer to the lack of stringent criteria for passwords in a system, making it easier for attackers to guess or crack user credentials and gain unauthorized access.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by using techniques such as brute force attacks or dictionary attacks.
• Common attack patterns include attempting a large number of password guesses using automated tools, leveraging leaked or common password lists, and exploiting predictable password patterns.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences of successful exploitation include unauthorized access to user accounts and potential data breaches.
• Potential cascading effects include privilege escalation, where attackers gain higher-level access, and lateral movement within a network.
• Business impact can involve reputational damage, financial loss due to data theft, and increased liability and compliance issues.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Specific code-level fixes include implementing and enforcing strong password policies such as minimum length, complexity requirements, and prohibiting common passwords.
• Security best practices involve educating users about creating strong passwords, regularly auditing and updating password policies, and using multi-factor authentication.
• Recommended tools and frameworks include password strength libraries, password hashing algorithms like bcrypt or Argon2, and security frameworks that provide built-in authentication features.

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Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified

Affected Languages: Not Language-Specific

Affected Technologies: Not Technology-Specific

Vulnerable Code Example

function isStrongPassword(password) {
    // This function only checks the password length, allowing weak passwords
    // Vulnerability: Weak password requirements make it easier for attackers to compromise accounts
    return password.length >= 6;  
}

Explanation:

• Issue: The function isStrongPassword only checks if the password is at least 6 characters long. This is insufficient for ensuring password strength as it does not consider complexity or common patterns used in weak passwords.
• Impact: Weak passwords can be easily guessed or cracked, leading to unauthorized access to user accounts.

How to fix Weak Password Requirements?

To fix weak password requirements in JavaScript, enforce a stronger password policy by implementing checks for:

1. Minimum Length: At least 8 characters.
2. Character Variety: Require a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
3. Avoid Common Passwords: Implement checks to prevent the use of the most common passwords.
4. Avoid Personal Information: Avoid passwords that contain easily obtained personal information.

Strengthen the password requirements to protect user accounts from unauthorized access.

Fixed Code Example

function isStrongPassword(password) {
    // Check for a minimum length of 8 characters
    if (password.length < 8) {
        return false;
    }
    // Regular expressions to enforce character variety
    const uppercaseRegex = /[A-Z]/;
    const lowercaseRegex = /[a-z]/;
    const digitRegex = /[0-9]/;
    const specialCharRegex = /[!@#\$%^&*(),.?":{}|<>]/;

    // Ensure the password contains at least one uppercase letter
    if (!uppercaseRegex.test(password)) {
        return false;
    }
    // Ensure the password contains at least one lowercase letter
    if (!lowercaseRegex.test(password)) {
        return false;
    }
    // Ensure the password contains at least one digit
    if (!digitRegex.test(password)) {
        return false;
    }
    // Ensure the password contains at least one special character
    if (!specialCharRegex.test(password)) {
        return false;
    }
    // The password meets all criteria for strength
    return true;
}

Improvements:

• Enhanced Complexity: The fixed code checks for a combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, digits, and special characters, significantly increasing password strength.
• Minimum Length: Increased the minimum length requirement to 8 characters.
• Best Practices: The code is structured to clearly demonstrate each check, and comments are added to explain each step, making it easy to understand and maintain.