CWE-1395: Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component

ClassIncomplete

The product has a dependency on a third-party component that contains one or more known vulnerabilities.

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Extended Description

Many products are large enough or complex enough that part of their functionality uses libraries, modules, or other intellectual property developed by third parties who are not the product creator. For example, even an entire operating system might be from a third-party supplier in some hardware products. Whether open or closed source, these components may contain publicly known vulnerabilities or hidden functionality such as malware that could be exploited by adversaries to compromise the product.

Technical Details

Structure
Simple

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-1395 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-1395, Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component, 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 Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component during Requirements

MITRE associates mitigation with Requirements, Policy, Architecture and Design, Implementation, and Integration; documented detection approaches include Automated Analysis; recorded impacts include Varies by Context. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-1395 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-1395: Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-1395 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-1395, Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component, 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-1395

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-1395, Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component. 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-1395 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-1395, Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component. 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-1395: Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component?+

CWE-1395: Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product has a dependency on a third-party component that contains one or more known vulnerabilities. Many products are large enough or complex enough that part of their functionality uses libraries, modules, or other intellectual property developed by third parties who are not the product creator. For example, even an entire operating system might be from a third-party supplier in some hardware products. Whether open or closed source, these components may contain publicly known vulnerabilities or hidden functionality such as malware that could be exploited by adversaries to compromise the product.

What are the security consequences of Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component?+

If exploited, CWE-1395 (Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component) it can compromise Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability, leading to outcomes such as Varies by Context.

How do you prevent or mitigate Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-1395 include: In some industries such as healthcare [REF-1320] [REF-1322] or technologies such as the cloud [REF-1321], it might be unclear about who is responsible for applying patches for third-party vulnerabilities: the vendor, the operator/customer, or a separate service. Clarifying roles and responsibilities can be important to minimize confusion or unnecessary delay when third-party vulnerabilities are disclosed. Require a Bill of Materials for all components and sub-components of the product. For software, require a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) [REF-1247] [REF-1311]. Maintain a Bill of Materials for all components and sub-components of the product. For software, maintain a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM). According to [REF-1247], "An SBOM is a formal, machine-readable inventory of software components and dependencies, information about those components, and their hierarchical relationships."

How is Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component detected?+

CWE-1395 can be detected using Automated Analysis. Combining automated tooling with manual review typically yields the best coverage.

Which programming languages are affected by Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component?+

CWE-1395 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 Dependency on Vulnerable Third-Party Component?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-1395, including CVE-2025-45612. 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-1395 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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