CWE-684: Incorrect Provision of Specified Functionality

What is Incorrect Provision of Specified Functionality?

• Overview: Incorrect Provision of Specified Functionality (CWE-684) occurs when code does not function as described in its documentation or published specifications. This mismatch can lead to incorrect usage and potentially unintended behaviors when the software is used by others.

• Exploitation Methods:

• Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by identifying discrepancies between the expected and actual functionality, leading to misuse of the software.
• Common attack patterns include manipulating inputs or interactions based on misunderstood or undocumented behavior, and leveraging these to trigger unintended code execution paths.

• Security Impact:

• Direct consequences include unexpected software behavior, which can be exploited to bypass security controls or cause data corruption.
• Potential cascading effects might involve compromised system integrity or stability, allowing further exploitation.
• Business impact includes damage to reputation, financial loss due to service interruptions, and potential legal liabilities from failing to meet contractual obligations.

• Prevention Guidelines:

• Specific code-level fixes involve thorough review and alignment of implementation with documentation, ensuring all edge cases and nuances are covered.
• Security best practices include rigorous testing against specifications, regular code reviews, and maintaining up-to-date and clear documentation.
• Recommended tools and frameworks include static analysis tools to detect discrepancies between code and specifications, and utilizing specification-driven development tools like Swagger or OpenAPI for API documentation.

Corgea can automatically detect and fix Incorrect Provision of Specified Functionality in your codebase. Try Corgea free today.

Technical Details

Likelihood of Exploit: Not specified

Affected Languages: Not specified

Affected Technologies: Not specified