CWE-1104: Use of Unmaintained Third Party Components

BaseIncomplete

The product relies on third-party components that are not actively supported or maintained by the original developer or a trusted proxy for the original developer.

View on MITRE
Back to CWE Lookup

Extended Description

Reliance on components that are no longer maintained can make it difficult or impossible to fix significant bugs, vulnerabilities, or quality issues. In effect, unmaintained code can become obsolete. This issue makes it more difficult to maintain the product, which indirectly affects security by making it more difficult or time-consuming to find and/or fix vulnerabilities. It also might make it easier to introduce vulnerabilities.

Technical Details

Structure
Simple

Applicable To

Languages
Platforms

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-1104: Use of Unmaintained Third Party Components?+

CWE-1104: Use of Unmaintained Third Party Components is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product relies on third-party components that are not actively supported or maintained by the original developer or a trusted proxy for the original developer. Reliance on components that are no longer maintained can make it difficult or impossible to fix significant bugs, vulnerabilities, or quality issues. In effect, unmaintained code can become obsolete. This issue makes it more difficult to maintain the product, which indirectly affects security by making it more difficult or time-consuming to find and/or fix vulnerabilities. It also might make it easier to introduce vulnerabilities.

What are the security consequences of Use of Unmaintained Third Party Components?+

If exploited, CWE-1104 (Use of Unmaintained Third Party Components) it can compromise Other, leading to outcomes such as Reduce Maintainability.

What is the difference between a CWE and a CVE?+

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-1104 describes a category of software weakness — the underlying flaw type. A CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifies a specific, real-world vulnerability in a particular product. In short, a CWE is the kind of mistake, and a CVE is an instance of that mistake being found in software.

Learn More

CWE-1104: Use of Unmaintained Third Party Components | CWE Lookup | InventiveHQ