Weakness · High
CWE-1290: Incorrect Decoding of Security Identifiers
What it is
The product implements a decoding mechanism to decode certain bus-transaction signals to security identifiers. If the decoding is implemented incorrectly, then untrusted agents can now gain unauthorized access to the asset.
- Severity (our rating)
- High
- Likelihood of exploit
- Not rated by MITRE
- Introduced during
- Architecture and Design, Implementation
- Exploited in the wild
- No CVE in CISA's catalog
In more detail
In a System-On-Chip (SoC), various integrated circuits and hardware engines generate transactions such as to access (reads/writes) assets or perform certain actions (e.g., reset, fetch, compute, etc.). Among various types of message information, a typical transaction is comprised of source identity (to identify the originator of the transaction) and a destination identity (to route the transaction to the respective entity). Sometimes the transactions are qualified with a security identifier. The security identifier helps the destination agent decide on the set of allowed actions (e.g., access an asset for read and writes). A decoder decodes the bus transactions to map security identifiers into necessary access-controls/protections. A common weakness that can exist in this scenario is incorrect decoding because an untrusted agent's security identifier is decoded into a trusted agent's security identifier. Thus, an untrusted agent previously without access to an asset can now gain access to the asset.
What an attacker can do
- Modify Memory (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Access Control)
- Read Memory (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Access Control)
- DoS: Resource Consumption (Other) (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Access Control)
- Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Access Control)
- Gain Privileges or Assume Identity (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Access Control)
- Quality Degradation (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Access Control)
How to prevent it
Architecture and Design
- Security identifier decoders must be reviewed for design consistency and common weaknesses.
Implementation
- Access and programming flows must be tested in pre-silicon and post-silicon testing in order to check for this weakness.
H2 Security
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Start freeSource: MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration, CWE version 4.19.1. CWE is a trademark of The MITRE Corporation.