What is CWE-1269: Product Released in Non-Release Configuration?+
CWE-1269: Product Released in Non-Release Configuration is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product released to market is released in pre-production or manufacturing configuration. Products in the pre-production or manufacturing stages are configured to have many debug hooks and debug capabilities, including but not limited to: Ability to override/bypass various cryptographic checks (including authentication, authorization, and integrity) Ability to read/write/modify/dump internal state (including registers and memory) Ability to change system configurations Ability to run hidden or private commands that are not allowed during production (as they expose IP). The above is by no means an exhaustive list, but it alludes to the greater capability and the greater state of vulnerability of a product during it's preproduction or manufacturing state. Complexity increases when multiple parties are involved in executing the tests before the final production version. For example, a chipmaker might fabricate a chip and run its own preproduction tests, following which the chip would be delivered to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), who would now run a second set of different preproduction tests on the same chip. Only after both of these sets of activities are complete, can the overall manufacturing phase be called "complete" and have the "Manufacturing Complete" fuse blown. However, if the OEM forgets to blow the Manufacturing Complete fuse, then the system remains in the manufacturing stage, rendering the system both exposed and vulnerable.
What are the security consequences of Product Released in Non-Release Configuration?+
If exploited, CWE-1269 (Product Released in Non-Release Configuration) it can compromise Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Access Control, Accountability and Authentication, leading to outcomes such as Other.
How do you prevent or mitigate Product Released in Non-Release Configuration?+
Recommended mitigations for CWE-1269 include: Ensure that there exists a marker for denoting the Manufacturing Complete stage and that the Manufacturing Complete marker gets updated at the Manufacturing Complete stage (i.e., the Manufacturing Complete fuse gets blown). Ensure that there exists a marker for denoting the Manufacturing Complete stage and that the Manufacturing Complete marker gets updated at the Manufacturing Complete stage (i.e., the Manufacturing Complete fuse gets blown). Ensure that there exists a marker for denoting the Manufacturing Complete stage and that the Manufacturing Complete marker gets updated at the Manufacturing Complete stage (i.e., the Manufacturing Complete fuse gets blown).
Which programming languages are affected by Product Released in Non-Release Configuration?+
CWE-1269 commonly affects VHDL, Verilog and Compiled. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.
What are real-world examples of Product Released in Non-Release Configuration?+
MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-1269, including CVE-2019-13945 and CVE-2018-4251. You can look up the full details of each CVE, including CVSS scores and remediation guidance, on our CVE Lookup tool.
What is the difference between a CWE and a CVE?+
A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-1269 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.