CWE-1392: Use of Default Credentials

BaseIncomplete

The product uses default credentials (such as passwords or cryptographic keys) for potentially critical functionality.

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Extended Description

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.

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-1392 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-1392, Use of Default Credentials, 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 Use of Default Credentials during Requirements

MITRE associates mitigation with Requirements, Architecture and Design, Installation, and Operation; recorded impacts include Gain Privileges or Assume Identity; observed examples include CVE-2022-30270, CVE-2021-41192, and CVE-2021-38759. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-1392 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-1392: Use of Default Credentials — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-1392 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-1392, Use of Default Credentials, 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-1392

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-1392, Use of Default Credentials. 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-1392 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-1392, Use of Default Credentials. 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-1392: Use of Default Credentials?+

CWE-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.

What are the security consequences of Use of Default Credentials?+

If exploited, CWE-1392 (Use of Default Credentials) it can compromise Authentication, leading to outcomes such as Gain Privileges or Assume Identity.

How do you prevent or mitigate Use of Default Credentials?+

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.

Which programming languages are affected by Use of Default Credentials?+

CWE-1392 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 Use of Default Credentials?+

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.

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

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.

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