CWE-1318: Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses

BaseIncomplete

On-chip fabrics or buses either do not support or are not configured to support privilege separation or other security features, such as access control.

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Extended Description

Certain on-chip fabrics and buses, especially simple and low-power buses, do not support security features. Apart from data transfer and addressing ports, some fabrics and buses do not have any interfaces to transfer privilege, immutable identity, or any other security attribute coming from the bus master. Similarly, they do not have dedicated signals to transport security-sensitive data from slave to master, such as completions for certain types of transactions. Few other on-chip fabrics and buses support security features and define specific interfaces/signals for transporting security attributes from master to slave or vice-versa. However, including these signals is not mandatory and could be left unconfigured when generating the register-transfer-level (RTL) description for the fabric. Such fabrics or buses should not be used to transport any security attribute coming from the bus master. In general, peripherals with security assets should not be connected to such buses before the transaction from the bus master reaches the bus, unless some form of access control is performed at a fabric bridge or another intermediate module.

Technical Details

Structure
Simple
Vulnerability Mapping
ALLOWED

Applicable To

Languages
Not Language-Specific
Platforms
Not OS-Specific

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-1318 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-1318, Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses, throughout the product lifecycle. Derive review questions, static or dynamic checks, and negative tests from the CWE's causal behavior; define the components and lifecycle stages each check covers; and retain findings with enough evidence to distinguish the root cause from symptoms and impacts. Track escapes and false negatives, then improve the verification plan after every confirmed occurrence.

NIST SP 800-218 Secure Software Development Framework — National Institute of Standards and Technology

Address Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design; documented detection approaches include Architecture or Design Review, and Manual Static Analysis - Source Code; recorded impacts include DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart, Read Memory, and Modify Memory. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-1318 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-1318: Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-1318 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-1318, Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses, has evidence of exploitation in the wild. Confirm the CVE-to-CWE root-cause mapping independently before attaching the example, then capture the affected product, required action, and remediation deadline. A missing KEV match is not evidence that the weakness is unexploited, and a KEV entry must not be generalized to every occurrence of this CWE.

Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Apply precise root-cause mapping to CWE-1318

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-1318, Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses. Separate weakness language from attacker prerequisites and technical impact, check the entry's abstraction and vulnerability-mapping notes, and prefer the most specific Base or Variant supported by the evidence. Record the rejected alternatives and require an independent review before the mapping is used for remediation trends or program metrics.

CVE to CWE Root Cause Mapping Guidance — MITRE CWE

Validate CWE-1318 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-1318, Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses. Confirm the finding describes the causal weakness rather than an impact or attack pattern, compare the abstraction and mapping notes with plausible alternatives, and have a second reviewer challenge the selection. Preserve the evidence and reasoning so recurring defects can be measured against one consistent identifier.

CVE to CWE Root Cause Mapping Quick Tips — MITRE CWE

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-1318: Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses?+

CWE-1318: Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. On-chip fabrics or buses either do not support or are not configured to support privilege separation or other security features, such as access control. Certain on-chip fabrics and buses, especially simple and low-power buses, do not support security features. Apart from data transfer and addressing ports, some fabrics and buses do not have any interfaces to transfer privilege, immutable identity, or any other security attribute coming from the bus master. Similarly, they do not have dedicated signals to transport security-sensitive data from slave to master, such as completions for certain types of transactions. Few other on-chip fabrics and buses support security features and define specific interfaces/signals for transporting security attributes from master to slave or vice-versa. However, including these signals is not mandatory and could be left unconfigured when generating the register-transfer-level (RTL) description for the fabric. Such fabrics or buses should not be used to transport any security attribute coming from the bus master. In general, peripherals with security assets should not be connected to such buses before the transaction from the bus master reaches the bus, unless some form of access control is performed at a fabric bridge or another intermediate module.

What are the security consequences of Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses?+

If exploited, CWE-1318 (Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses) it can compromise Confidentiality, Integrity, Access Control and Availability, leading to outcomes such as DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart, Read Memory and Modify Memory.

How do you prevent or mitigate Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-1318 include: If fabric does not support security features, implement security checks in a bridge or any component that is between the master and the fabric. Alternatively, connect all fabric slaves that do not have any security assets under one such fabric and connect peripherals with security assets to a different fabric that supports security features.

How is Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses detected?+

CWE-1318 can be detected using Architecture or Design Review and Manual Static Analysis - Source Code. Combining automated tooling with manual review typically yields the best coverage.

Which programming languages are affected by Missing Support for Security Features in On-chip Fabrics or Buses?+

CWE-1318 commonly affects Not Language-Specific. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.

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

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-1318 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.

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