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CWE-257

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CWE-257

Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format

Base
Incomplete

Description

The storage of passwords in a recoverable format makes them subject to password reuse attacks by malicious users. In fact, it should be noted that recoverable encrypted passwords provide no significant benefit over plaintext passwords since they are subject not only to reuse by malicious attackers but also by malicious insiders. If a system administrator can recover a password directly, or use a brute force search on the available information, the administrator can use the password on other accounts.

Related Weaknesses

Common Consequences

Scope

Confidentiality
Access Control

Impact

Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

Scope

Access Control

Impact

Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

Potential Mitigations

Architecture and Design

Use strong, non-reversible encryption to protect stored passwords.

CVE-2022-30018

A messaging platform serializes all elements of User/Group objects, making private information available to adversaries

Applicable Platforms

Not Language-Specific

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