Password aging (or password rotation) is a policy that forces users to change their passwords after a defined time period passes, such as every 30 or 90 days. Without mechanisms such as aging, users might not change their passwords in a timely manner.
Note that while password aging was once considered an important security feature, it has since fallen out of favor by many, because it is not as effective against modern threats compared to other mechanisms such as slow hashes. In addition, forcing frequent changes can unintentionally encourage users to select less-secure passwords. However, password aging is still in use due to factors such as compliance requirements, e.g., Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
| Impact | Details |
|---|---|
|
Gain Privileges or Assume Identity |
Scope: Access Control
As passwords age, the probability that they are compromised grows.
|
| Phase(s) | Mitigation |
|---|---|
|
Architecture and Design |
As part of a product's design, require users to change their passwords regularly and avoid reusing previous passwords.
|
|
Implementation |
Developers might disable clipboard paste operations into password fields as a way to discourage users from pasting a password into a clipboard. However, this might encourage users to choose less-secure passwords that are easier to type, and it can reduce the usability of password managers [REF-1294].
Effectiveness: Discouraged Common Practice |
| Nature | Type | ID | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChildOf | Class Class - a weakness that is described in a very abstract fashion, typically independent of any specific language or technology. More specific than a Pillar Weakness, but more general than a Base Weakness. Class level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 1 or 2 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, and resource. | 1390 | Weak Authentication |
| PeerOf | Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. | 309 | Use of Password System for Primary Authentication |
| PeerOf | Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. | 324 | Use of a Key Past its Expiration Date |
| Nature | Type | ID | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| MemberOf | Category Category - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. | 255 | Credentials Management Errors |
| Nature | Type | ID | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| MemberOf | Category Category - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. | 1010 | Authenticate Actors |
| Phase | Note |
|---|---|
| Architecture and Design | COMMISSION: This weakness refers to an incorrect design related to an architectural security tactic. |
Class: Not Language-Specific (Undetermined Prevalence)
Example 1
A system does not enforce the changing of passwords every certain period.
| Nature | Type | ID | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| MemberOf | ViewView - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). | 884 | CWE Cross-section |
| MemberOf | CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. | 951 | SFP Secondary Cluster: Insecure Authentication Policy |
| MemberOf | CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. | 1396 | Comprehensive Categorization: Access Control |
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.| Mapped Taxonomy Name | Node ID | Fit | Mapped Node Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLASP | Not allowing password aging |
| CAPEC-ID | Attack Pattern Name |
|---|---|
| CAPEC-16 | Dictionary-based Password Attack |
| CAPEC-49 | Password Brute Forcing |
| CAPEC-509 | Kerberoasting |
| CAPEC-55 | Rainbow Table Password Cracking |
| CAPEC-555 | Remote Services with Stolen Credentials |
| CAPEC-560 | Use of Known Domain Credentials |
| CAPEC-561 | Windows Admin Shares with Stolen Credentials |
| CAPEC-565 | Password Spraying |
| CAPEC-600 | Credential Stuffing |
| CAPEC-652 | Use of Known Kerberos Credentials |
| CAPEC-653 | Use of Known Operating System Credentials |
| CAPEC-70 | Try Common or Default Usernames and Passwords |
| Submissions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Submission Date | Submitter | Organization | |
|
2006年07月19日
(CWE Draft 3, 2006年07月19日) |
CLASP | ||
| Contributions | |||
| Contribution Date | Contributor | Organization | |
| 2021年12月03日 | Kurt Seifried, Chris Eng, G. Ann Campbell, Larry Shields, Jeffrey Walton, Jason Dryhurst-Smith, and other members of the CWE Community | ||
| Gave feedback on how to update CWE-262 and CWE-263 due to changing password management practices | |||
| Modifications | |||
| Modification Date | Modifier | Organization | |
|
2025年09月09日
(CWE 4.18, 2025年09月09日) |
CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated References | |||
| 2023年06月29日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Mapping_Notes | |||
| 2023年04月27日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated References, Relationships | |||
| 2022年10月13日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Description, Potential_Mitigations, References, Relationships | |||
| 2020年08月20日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Related_Attack_Patterns | |||
| 2020年02月24日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Demonstrative_Examples, Description, Potential_Mitigations, References, Type | |||
| 2017年11月08日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Applicable_Platforms, Likelihood_of_Exploit, Modes_of_Introduction, Relationships | |||
| 2014年07月30日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Relationships | |||
| 2014年06月23日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Other_Notes, Potential_Mitigations | |||
| 2012年05月11日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated References, Relationships | |||
| 2011年06月27日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Common_Consequences | |||
| 2011年06月01日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Common_Consequences | |||
| 2011年03月29日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Relationships | |||
| 2008年09月08日 | CWE Content Team | MITRE | |
| updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Other_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings | |||
| Previous Entry Names | |||
| Change Date | Previous Entry Name | ||
| 2008年04月11日 | Not Allowing Password Aging | ||
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