CWE - CWE-13: ASP.NET Misconfiguration: Password in Configuration File (4.18)

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CWE Glossary Definition

CWE-13: ASP.NET Misconfiguration: Password in Configuration File

Weakness ID: 13

Vulnerability Mapping: ALLOWED This CWE ID may be used to map to real-world vulnerabilities
Abstraction: Variant Variant - a weakness that is linked to a certain type of product, typically involving a specific language or technology. More specific than a Base weakness. Variant level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 3 to 5 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource.

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Description

Storing a plaintext password in a configuration file allows anyone who can read the file access to the password-protected resource making them an easy target for attackers.

Common Consequences

Section HelpThis table specifies different individual consequences associated with the weakness. The Scope identifies the application security area that is violated, while the Impact describes the negative technical impact that arises if an adversary succeeds in exploiting this weakness. The Likelihood provides information about how likely the specific consequence is expected to be seen relative to the other consequences in the list. For example, there may be high likelihood that a weakness will be exploited to achieve a certain impact, but a low likelihood that it will be exploited to achieve a different impact.

Impact	Details
Gain Privileges or Assume Identity	Scope: Access Control

Potential Mitigations

Phase(s)	Mitigation
Implementation	Credentials stored in configuration files should be encrypted, Use standard APIs and industry accepted algorithms to encrypt the credentials stored in configuration files.

Relationships

Section Help This table shows the weaknesses and high level categories that are related to this weakness. These relationships are defined as ChildOf, ParentOf, MemberOf and give insight to similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such as PeerOf and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar weaknesses that the user may want to explore.

Relevant to the view "Research Concepts" (View-1000)

Nature	Type	ID	Name
ChildOf	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.	260	Password in Configuration File

Modes Of Introduction

Section HelpThe different Modes of Introduction provide information about how and when this weakness may be introduced. The Phase identifies a point in the life cycle at which introduction may occur, while the Note provides a typical scenario related to introduction during the given phase.

Phase	Note
Architecture and Design
Implementation

Demonstrative Examples

Example 1

The following example shows a portion of a configuration file for an ASP.Net application. This configuration file includes username and password information for a connection to a database, but the pair is stored in plaintext.

(bad code)

Example Language: ASP.NET

...
<connectionStrings>

</connectionStrings>
...

Username and password information should not be included in a configuration file or a properties file in plaintext as this will allow anyone who can read the file access to the resource. If possible, encrypt this information.

Memberships

Section HelpThis MemberOf Relationships table shows additional CWE Categories and Views that reference this weakness as a member. This information is often useful in understanding where a weakness fits within the context of external information sources.

Nature	Type	ID	Name
MemberOf	CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.	2	7PK - Environment
MemberOf	CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.	731	OWASP Top Ten 2004 Category A10 - Insecure Configuration Management
MemberOf	CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.	963	SFP Secondary Cluster: Exposed Data
MemberOf	CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.	1349	OWASP Top Ten 2021 Category A05:2021 - Security Misconfiguration
MemberOf	CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic.	1396	Comprehensive Categorization: Access Control

Vulnerability Mapping Notes

Usage ALLOWED

(this CWE ID may be used to map to real-world vulnerabilities)

Reason Acceptable-Use

Rationale

This CWE entry is at the Variant 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.

Taxonomy Mappings

Mapped Taxonomy Name	Node ID	Fit	Mapped Node Name
7 Pernicious Kingdoms	ASP.NET Misconfiguration: Password in Configuration File

References

[REF-6] Katrina Tsipenyuk, Brian Chess and Gary McGraw. "Seven Pernicious Kingdoms: A Taxonomy of Software Security Errors". NIST Workshop on Software Security Assurance Tools Techniques and Metrics. NIST. 2005年11月07日.
<https://samate.nist.gov/SSATTM_Content/papers/Seven%20Pernicious%20Kingdoms%20-%20Taxonomy%20of%20Sw%20Security%20Errors%20-%20Tsipenyuk%20-%20Chess%20-%20McGraw.pdf>.

[REF-103] Microsoft Corporation. "How To: Encrypt Configuration Sections in ASP.NET 2.0 Using DPAPI".
<https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/msp-n-p/ff647398(v=pandp.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN>. (URL validated: 2023年04月07日)

[REF-104] Microsoft Corporation. "How To: Encrypt Configuration Sections in ASP.NET 2.0 Using RSA".
<https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/msp-n-p/ff650304(v=pandp.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN>. (URL validated: 2023年04月07日)

[REF-105] Microsoft Corporation. ".NET Framework Developer's Guide - Securing Connection Strings".
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/89211k9b(VS.80).aspx>.

Content History

Submissions
Submission Date	Submitter	Organization
2006年07月19日 (CWE Draft 3, 2006年07月19日)	7 Pernicious Kingdoms
2006年07月19日 (CWE Draft 3, 2006年07月19日)
Modifications
Modification Date	Modifier	Organization
2023年06月29日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2023年06月29日	updated Mapping_Notes
2023年04月27日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2023年04月27日	updated References, Relationships
2021年10月28日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2021年10月28日	updated Relationships
2021年03月15日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2021年03月15日	updated Demonstrative_Examples
2020年02月24日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2020年02月24日	updated References, Relationships
2018年03月27日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2018年03月27日	updated Demonstrative_Examples
2017年11月08日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2017年11月08日	updated Relationships
2014年07月30日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2014年07月30日	updated Demonstrative_Examples, Relationships
2013年02月21日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2013年02月21日	updated Potential_Mitigations
2012年10月30日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2012年10月30日	updated Demonstrative_Examples
2012年05月11日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2012年05月11日	updated Relationships
2011年06月01日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2011年06月01日	updated Common_Consequences
2009年07月27日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2009年07月27日	updated Demonstrative_Examples
2008年09月08日	CWE Content Team	MITRE
2008年09月08日	updated Relationships, References, Taxonomy_Mappings
2008年07月01日	Eric Dalci	Cigital
2008年07月01日	updated References, Demonstrative_Example, Potential_Mitigations, Time_of_Introduction

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Page Last Updated: September 09, 2025

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