CWE-1234

Hardware Internal or Debug Modes Allow Override of Locks
AI Translation Available

System configuration protection may be bypassed during debug mode.

Status
incomplete
Abstraction
base

Device configuration controls are commonly programmed after a device power reset by a trusted firmware or software module (e.g., BIOS/bootloader) and then locked from any further modification. This is commonly implemented using a trusted lock bit, which when set, disables writes to a protected set of registers or address regions. The lock protection is intended to prevent modification of certain system configuration (e.g., memory/memory protection unit configuration). If debug features supported by hardware or internal modes/system states are supported in the hardware design, modification of the lock protection may be allowed allowing access and modification of configuration information.

Common Consequences

access control
Impacts
bypass protection mechanism

Potential Mitigations

Phases:
architecture and design implementation testing
Descriptions:
• - Security Lock bit protections should be reviewed for any bypass/override modes supported. - Any supported override modes either should be removed or protected using authenticated debug modes. - Security lock programming flow and lock properties should be tested in pre-silicon and post-silicon testing.