CWE-636Not Failing Securely ('Failing Open')

Description

When the product encounters an error condition or failure, its design requires it to fall back to a state that is less secure than other options that are available, such as selecting the weakest encryption algorithm or using the most permissive access control restrictions.

By entering a less secure state, the product inherits the weaknesses associated with that state, making it easier to compromise. At the least, it causes administrators to have a false sense of security. This weakness typically occurs as a result of wanting to "fail functional" to minimize administration and support costs, instead of "failing safe."

Common consequences

• Access Control→Bypass Protection Mechanism
  Intended access restrictions can be bypassed, which is often contradictory to what the product's administrator expects.

Potential mitigations

• Architecture and Design
  Subdivide and allocate resources and components so that a failure in one part does not affect the entire product.

Related CWEs

Recent CVEs classified under this CWE