CWE-524: Use of Cache Containing Sensitive Information

What is CWE-524?

CWE-524 is Use of Cache Containing Sensitive Information. The flaw arises when the code uses a cache that contains sensitive information, but the cache can be read by an actor outside of the intended control sphere. The database currently holds 51 vulnerabilities mapped to CWE-524 and none of them are in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

OWASP Top 10 Rank-
Related CVES (365 days)51
AbstractionBase
Likelihood of exploit-

Vulnerabilities mapped to CWE-524

51 vulnerabilities1600% increase year over year

No data

No vulnerability data in CISA KEV for CWE-524

Official definition

ByMitre CWE

The code uses a cache that contains sensitive information, but the cache can be read by an actor outside of the intended control sphere.

A cache maintains a pool of objects, threads, connections, pages, financial data, passwords, or other resources to minimize the time it takes to initialize and access these resources.

Characteristics

Modes of introduction

  • Architecture and Design: Applications may use caches to improve efficiency when communicating with remote entities or performing intensive calculations. (All Phases: Architecture and Design, Implementation)

Common consequences

ImpactScopeExplanation
Read Application DataConfidentialityIf the cache is accessible to unauthorized actors, attackers can read the cache and obtain this sensitive information.

Risk mitigations

  1. Architecture and DesignProtect information stored in cache.
  2. Architecture and DesignDo not store unnecessarily sensitive information in the cache.
  3. Architecture and DesignConsider using encryption in the cache.

Detection methods

MethodApproachEffectiveness
Automated Static AnalysisAutomated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)High

Representative vulnerabilities

Below are representative vulnerabilities related to this CWE, prioritized by severity.

Sources (2)
MITRE CWE
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