{"@ID": "489", "@Name": "Active Debug Code", "@Abstraction": "Base", "@Structure": "Simple", "@Status": "Draft", "@Diagram": "/data/images/CWE-489-Diagram.png", "Description": "The product is released with debugging code still enabled or active.", "Related_Weaknesses": {"Related_Weakness": [{"@Nature": "ChildOf", "@CWE_ID": "710", "@View_ID": "1000", "@Ordinal": "Primary"}, {"@Nature": "CanPrecede", "@CWE_ID": "215", "@View_ID": "1000", "@Ordinal": "Primary"}]}, "Weakness_Ordinalities": {"Weakness_Ordinality": [{"Ordinality": "Indirect"}, {"Ordinality": "Primary"}]}, "Applicable_Platforms": {"Language": {"@Class": "Not Language-Specific", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}, "Technology": [{"@Class": "Not Technology-Specific", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}, {"@Class": "ICS/OT", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}]}, "Alternate_Terms": {"Alternate_Term": {"Term": "Leftover debug code", "Description": "This term originates from Seven Pernicious Kingdoms"}}, "Modes_Of_Introduction": {"Introduction": [{"Phase": "Implementation", "Note": "In web-based applications, debug code is used to test and modify web application properties, configuration information, and functions. If a debug application is left on a production server, this oversight during the \"software process\" allows attackers access to debug functionality."}, {"Phase": "Implementation", "Note": "A common development practice is to add \"back door\" code specifically designed for debugging or testing purposes that is not intended to be shipped or deployed with the product. These back door entry points create security risks because they are not considered during design or testing and fall outside of the expected operating conditions of the product."}, {"Phase": "Build and Compilation"}, {"Phase": "Operation"}]}, "Common_Consequences": {"Consequence": {"Scope": ["Confidentiality", "Integrity", "Availability", "Access Control", "Other"], "Impact": ["Bypass Protection Mechanism", "Read Application Data", "Gain Privileges or Assume Identity", "Varies by Context"], "Note": "Active debug code can create unintended entry points or expose sensitive information. The severity of the exposed debug code will depend on the particular instance. At the least, it will give an attacker sensitive information about the settings and mechanics of web applications on the server. At worst, as is often the case, the debug code will allow an attacker complete control over the web application and server, as well as confidential information that either of these access."}}, "Detection_Methods": {"Detection_Method": {"@Detection_Method_ID": "DM-14", "Method": "Automated Static Analysis", "Description": "Automated 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.)", "Effectiveness": "High"}}, "Potential_Mitigations": {"Mitigation": {"Phase": ["Build and Compilation", "Distribution"], "Description": "Remove debug code before deploying the application."}}, "Demonstrative_Examples": {"Demonstrative_Example": {"Intro_Text": "Debug code can be used to bypass authentication. For example, suppose an application has a login script that receives a username and a password. Assume also that a third, optional, parameter, called \"debug\", is interpreted by the script as requesting a switch to debug mode, and that when this parameter is given the username and password are not checked. In such a case, it is very simple to bypass the authentication process if the special behavior of the application regarding the debug parameter is known. In a case where the form is:", "Example_Code": [{"@Nature": "Bad", "@Language": "HTML", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:br": [null, null], "#text": "<INPUT TYPE=TEXT name=username><INPUT TYPE=PASSWORD name=password><INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT>"}, "#text": "<FORM ACTION=\"/authenticate_login.cgi\"></FORM>"}}, {"@Nature": "Informative", "xhtml:div": "http://TARGET/authenticate_login.cgi?username=...&password=..."}, {"@Nature": "Attack", "xhtml:div": "http://TARGET/authenticate_login.cgi?username=&password=&debug=1"}], "Body_Text": ["Then a conforming link will look like:", "An attacker can change this to:", "Which will grant the attacker access to the site, bypassing the authentication process."]}}, "Observed_Examples": {"Observed_Example": [{"Reference": "CVE-2024-44092", "Description": "smartphone is built for production with debugging code present, allowing local privilege escalation", "Link": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-44092"}, {"Reference": "CVE-2024-36475", "Description": "network hub contains active debug code, which allows users to execute arbitrary OS commands using a debug function", "Link": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-36475"}, {"Reference": "CVE-2024-29075", "Description": "Mesh Wi-Fi router has active debug code, allowing attackers to modify device settings", "Link": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-29075"}]}, "Taxonomy_Mappings": {"Taxonomy_Mapping": [{"@Taxonomy_Name": "7 Pernicious Kingdoms", "Entry_Name": "Leftover Debug Code"}, {"@Taxonomy_Name": "OWASP Top Ten 2004", "Entry_ID": "A10", "Entry_Name": "Insecure Configuration Management", "Mapping_Fit": "CWE More Specific"}, {"@Taxonomy_Name": "Software Fault Patterns", "Entry_ID": "SFP28", "Entry_Name": "Unexpected access points"}]}, "Related_Attack_Patterns": {"Related_Attack_Pattern": [{"@CAPEC_ID": "121"}, {"@CAPEC_ID": "661"}]}, "References": {"Reference": {"@External_Reference_ID": "REF-6"}}, "Mapping_Notes": {"Usage": "Allowed", "Rationale": "This CWE entry is at the Base level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.", "Comments": "Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.", "Reasons": {"Reason": {"@Type": "Acceptable-Use"}}}, "Notes": {"Note": {"@Type": "Other", "#text": "In J2EE a main method may be a good indicator that debug code has been left in the application, although there may not be any direct security impact."}}, "Content_History": {"Submission": {"Submission_Name": "7 Pernicious Kingdoms", "Submission_Date": "2006-07-19", "Submission_Version": "Draft 3", "Submission_ReleaseDate": "2006-07-19"}, "Modification": [{"Modification_Name": "Eric Dalci", "Modification_Organization": "Cigital", "Modification_Date": "2008-07-01", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Potential_Mitigations, Time_of_Introduction"}, {"Modification_Organization": "KDM Analytics", "Modification_Date": "2008-08-01", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "added/updated white box definitions"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2008-09-08", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Other_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2009-07-27", "Modification_Version": "1.5", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2009-07-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Demonstrative_Examples"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2009-10-29", "Modification_Version": "1.6", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2009-10-29", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2011-06-01", "Modification_Version": "1.13", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2011-06-01", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2011-06-27", "Modification_Version": "2.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2011-06-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2012-05-11", "Modification_Version": "2.2", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2012-05-15", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2012-10-30", "Modification_Version": "2.3", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2012-10-30", "Modification_Comment": "updated Potential_Mitigations"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2014-06-23", "Modification_Version": "2.7", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2014-06-23", "Modification_Comment": "updated Description, Modes_of_Introduction, Other_Notes, Time_of_Introduction"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2014-07-30", "Modification_Version": "2.8", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2014-07-31", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2017-11-08", "Modification_Version": "3.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2017-11-08", "Modification_Comment": "updated Applicable_Platforms, Relationships, White_Box_Definitions"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2019-01-03", "Modification_Version": "3.2", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2019-01-03", "Modification_Comment": "updated Weakness_Ordinalities"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2019-06-20", "Modification_Version": "3.3", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2019-06-20", "Modification_Comment": "updated Related_Attack_Patterns"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2020-02-24", "Modification_Version": "4.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2020-02-24", "Modification_Comment": "updated Description, Name, References, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2021-03-15", "Modification_Version": "4.4", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2021-03-15", "Modification_Comment": "updated Related_Attack_Patterns"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2021-07-20", "Modification_Version": "4.5", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2021-07-20", "Modification_Comment": "updated Alternate_Terms"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-01-31", "Modification_Version": "4.10", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-01-31", "Modification_Comment": "updated Applicable_Platforms, Description, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-04-27", "Modification_Version": "4.11", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-04-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Detection_Factors, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-06-29", "Modification_Version": "4.12", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-06-29", "Modification_Comment": "updated Mapping_Notes"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2025-09-09", "Modification_Version": "4.18", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2025-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences, Description, Diagram, Modes_of_Introduction"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2025-12-11", "Modification_Version": "4.19", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2025-12-11", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2026-04-30", "Modification_Version": "4.20", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2026-04-30", "Modification_Comment": "updated Observed_Examples"}], "Previous_Entry_Name": {"@Date": "2020-02-24", "#text": "Leftover Debug Code"}}}