CWE-261

Weak Encoding for Password
AI Translation Available

Obscuring a password with a trivial encoding does not protect the password.

Status
incomplete
Abstraction
base

Password management issues occur when a password is stored in plaintext in an application's properties or configuration file. A programmer can attempt to remedy the password management problem by obscuring the password with an encoding function, such as base 64 encoding, but this effort does not adequately protect the password.

Common Consequences

access control
Impacts
gain privileges or assume identity

Detection Methods

automated static analysis

Potential Mitigations

Descriptions:
• Passwords should be encrypted with keys that are at least 128 bits in length for adequate security.