CWE-636

Not Failing Securely ('Failing Open')
AI Translation Available

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.

Status
draft
Abstraction
class
Not Technology-Specific ICS/OT

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
Impacts
bypass protection mechanism

Potential Mitigations

Phases:
architecture and design
Descriptions:
• Subdivide and allocate resources and components so that a failure in one part does not affect the entire product.