CWE-345

What is CWE-345 (Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity)?

The product does not sufficiently verify the origin or authenticity of data, allowing an attacker to provide malicious data that the product trusts.

Vulnerability Insights

Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity (CWE-345) represents a significant security risk across modern software systems. This weakness enables attackers to exploit data integrity flaws in applications, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data exfiltration, or remote code execution. Organizations must implement defense-in-depth strategies combining static analysis, runtime monitoring, and binary analysis to detect and mitigate these vulnerabilities.

Impact on Systems

• Compromise of Application Integrity: Predictable execution flow is disrupted
• Potential Data Exposure: Depending on context, sensitive configurations may leak
• Availability Risks: Unexpected states leading to temporary denial of service

Real-World Attack Scenario

An attacker probes the system interfaces to identify areas where the input or state related to Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity is improperly handled. Once identified, they craft a payload tailored to the specific backend architecture. By exploiting the lack of robust structural validation, the attacker is able to force the application into an unintended state, bypassing standard business logic and achieving unauthorized outcomes.

Code Examples

Vulnerable Implementation

// VULNERABLE: Unvalidated input leading to Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
function processInput(data) {
    // Missing strict validation or sanitization
    executeOrStoreConfig(data);
}

Secure Alternative

// SECURE: Proper validation mitigating Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
function processInput(data) {
    if (!isValid(data)) throw new Error('Invalid input');
    const safeData = sanitize(data);
    executeOrStoreConfig(safeData);
}

Detection with Precogs AI

Precogs AI detects missing authenticity verification in update mechanisms, API communications, and supply chain artifact validation. Our binary analysis engine examines compiled artifacts without requiring source code access, identifying CWE-345 patterns in vendor software, containers, firmware, and third-party libraries.

Remediation

Implement proper data integrity controls following secure coding guidelines. Use automated scanning tools like Precogs AI to continuously monitor for CWE-345 vulnerabilities across your software supply chain. Apply the principle of least privilege and validate all inputs from untrusted sources.