CWE-1428: Reliance on HTTP instead of HTTPS
The product provides or relies on use of HTTP communications when HTTPS is available.
View on MITREExtended Description
Because HTTP communications are not encrypted, HTTP is subject to various attacks against confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. However, unlike many other protocols, HTTPS is widely available as a more secure alternative, because it uses encryption.
Technical Details
- Structure
- Simple
Applicable To
Security Consequences
No consequence information available for this CWE.
Mitigation Strategies
Phase
Description
Explicitly require HTTPS or another mechanism that ensures that communication is encrypted [REF-1464].
Phase
Description
Avoid using "mixed content," i.e., serving a web page over HTTPS in which the page includes elements that use "http:" URLs [REF-1466] [REF-1467]. This is often done for images or other resources that do not seem to have privacy or security implications.
Phase
Description
Perform "HTTPS forcing," that is, redirecting HTTP requests to HTTPS.
Phase
Description
If the product supports multiple protocols, ensure that encrypted protocols (such as HTTPS) are required, and remove any unencrypted protocols (such as HTTP).
Detection Methods
No detection method information available for this CWE.
Code Examples & CVEs
No examples or observed CVEs available for this CWE.
CWE Relationships
No relationship information available for this CWE.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CWE-1428: Reliance on HTTP instead of HTTPS?+
CWE-1428: Reliance on HTTP instead of HTTPS is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product provides or relies on use of HTTP communications when HTTPS is available. Because HTTP communications are not encrypted, HTTP is subject to various attacks against confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. However, unlike many other protocols, HTTPS is widely available as a more secure alternative, because it uses encryption.
How do you prevent or mitigate Reliance on HTTP instead of HTTPS?+
Recommended mitigations for CWE-1428 include: Explicitly require HTTPS or another mechanism that ensures that communication is encrypted [REF-1464]. Avoid using "mixed content," i.e., serving a web page over HTTPS in which the page includes elements that use "http:" URLs [REF-1466] [REF-1467]. This is often done for images or other resources that do not seem to have privacy or security implications. Perform "HTTPS forcing," that is, redirecting HTTP requests to HTTPS.
Which programming languages are affected by Reliance on HTTP instead of HTTPS?+
CWE-1428 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-1428 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.