CWE-1290: Incorrect Decoding of Security Identifiers

MITRE CWE weakness

Description

The product implements a decoding mechanism to decode certain bus-transaction signals to security identifiers. If the decoding is implemented incorrectly, then untrusted agents can now gain unauthorized access to the asset.

In a System-On-Chip (SoC), various integrated circuits and hardware engines generate transactions such as to access (reads/writes) assets or perform certain actions (e.g., reset, fetch, compute, etc.). Among various types of message information, a typical transaction is comprised of source identity (to identify the originator of the transaction) and a destination identity (to route the transaction to the respective entity). Sometimes the transactions are qualified with a security identifier. The security identifier helps the destination agent decide on the set of allowed actions (e.g., access an asset for read and writes). A decoder decodes the bus transactions to map security identifiers into necessary access-controls/protections. A common weakness that can exist in this scenario is incorrect decoding because an untrusted agent's security identifier is decoded into a trusted agent's security identifier. Thus, an untrusted agent previously without access to an asset can now gain access to the asset.

Common consequences

• Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Access Control: Modify Memory, Read Memory, DoS: Resource Consumption (Other), Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands, Gain Privileges or Assume Identity, Quality Degradation

Mitigations

Architecture and Design — Security identifier decoders must be reviewed for design consistency and common weaknesses.

Implementation — Access and programming flows must be tested in pre-silicon and post-silicon testing in order to check for this weakness.

References

• CWE page: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1290.html
• CWE list: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/index.html