The product uses default credentials (such as passwords or cryptographic keys) for potentially critical functionality.
View on MITREIt is common practice for products to be designed to use default keys, passwords, or other mechanisms for authentication. The rationale is to simplify the manufacturing process or the system administrator's task of installation and deployment into an enterprise. However, if admins do not change the defaults, it is easier for attackers to bypass authentication quickly across multiple organizations.
Prohibit use of default, hard-coded, or other values that do not vary for each installation of the product - especially for separate organizations.
Force the administrator to change the credential upon installation.
The product administrator could change the defaults upon installation or during operation.
No detection method information available for this CWE.
data visualization/sharing package uses default secret keys or cookie values if they are not specified in environment variables
View DetailsIntrusion Detection System (IDS) uses the same static, private SSL keys for multiple devices and installations, allowing decryption of SSL traffic
View DetailsCWE-1392: Use of Default Credentials is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product uses default credentials (such as passwords or cryptographic keys) for potentially critical functionality. It is common practice for products to be designed to use default keys, passwords, or other mechanisms for authentication. The rationale is to simplify the manufacturing process or the system administrator's task of installation and deployment into an enterprise. However, if admins do not change the defaults, it is easier for attackers to bypass authentication quickly across multiple organizations.
If exploited, CWE-1392 (Use of Default Credentials) it can compromise Authentication, leading to outcomes such as Gain Privileges or Assume Identity.
Recommended mitigations for CWE-1392 include: Prohibit use of default, hard-coded, or other values that do not vary for each installation of the product - especially for separate organizations. Force the administrator to change the credential upon installation. The product administrator could change the defaults upon installation or during operation.
CWE-1392 commonly affects Not Language-Specific. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.
MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-1392, including CVE-2022-30270, CVE-2021-41192, CVE-2021-38759, CVE-2018-3825 and CVE-2010-2306. You can look up the full details of each CVE, including CVSS scores and remediation guidance, on our CVE Lookup tool.
A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-1392 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.