Weakness · Medium
CWE-912: Hidden Functionality
What it is
The product contains functionality that is not documented, not part of the specification, and not accessible through an interface or command sequence that is obvious to the product's users or administrators.
- Severity (our rating)
- Medium
- Likelihood of exploit
- Not rated by MITRE
- Introduced during
- Architecture and Design, Implementation
- Exploited in the wild
- 3 known exploited CVEs
In more detail
Hidden functionality can take many forms, such as intentionally malicious code, "Easter Eggs" that contain extraneous functionality such as games, developer-friendly shortcuts that reduce maintenance or support costs such as hard-coded accounts, etc. From a security perspective, even when the functionality is not intentionally malicious or damaging, it can increase the product's attack surface and expose additional weaknesses beyond what is already exposed by the intended functionality. Even if it is not easily accessible, the hidden functionality could be useful for attacks that modify the control flow of the application.
What an attacker can do
- Varies by Context (Other, Integrity)
- Alter Execution Logic (Other, Integrity)
How to prevent it
Installation
- Always verify the integrity of the product that is being installed.
How to find it
- Automated Static Analysis. Conduct a code coverage analysis using live testing, then closely inspect any code that is not covered.
Exploited in the wild: 3 CVEs
Vulnerabilities caused by CWE-912 that attackers have used, from CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, newest first.
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.