What is CWE-1385: Missing Origin Validation in WebSockets?+
CWE-1385: Missing Origin Validation in WebSockets is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product uses a WebSocket, but it does not properly verify that the source of data or communication is valid. WebSockets provide a bi-directional low latency communication (near real-time) between a client and a server. WebSockets are different than HTTP in that the connections are long-lived, as the channel will remain open until the client or the server is ready to send the message, whereas in HTTP, once the response occurs (which typically happens immediately), the transaction completes. A WebSocket can leverage the existing HTTP protocol over ports 80 and 443, but it is not limited to HTTP. WebSockets can make cross-origin requests that are not restricted by browser-based protection mechanisms such as the Same Origin Policy (SOP) or Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS). Without explicit origin validation, this makes CSRF attacks more powerful.
What are the security consequences of Missing Origin Validation in WebSockets?+
If exploited, CWE-1385 (Missing Origin Validation in WebSockets) it can compromise Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Non-Repudiation and Access Control, leading to outcomes such as Varies by Context, Gain Privileges or Assume Identity, Bypass Protection Mechanism, Read Application Data, Modify Application Data and DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart.
How do you prevent or mitigate Missing Origin Validation in WebSockets?+
Recommended mitigations for CWE-1385 include: Enable CORS-like access restrictions by verifying the 'Origin' header during the WebSocket handshake. Use a randomized CSRF token to verify requests. Use TLS to securely communicate using 'wss' (WebSocket Secure) instead of 'ws'.
Which programming languages are affected by Missing Origin Validation in WebSockets?+
CWE-1385 commonly affects Not Language-Specific. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.
What are real-world examples of Missing Origin Validation in WebSockets?+
MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-1385, including CVE-2020-25095, CVE-2018-6651, CVE-2018-14730, CVE-2018-14731 and CVE-2018-14732. 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-1385 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.