CWE-268: Privilege Chaining

Code Examples & CVEs

Demonstrative Examples

This code allows someone with the role of "ADMIN" or "OPERATOR" to reset a user's password. The role of "OPERATOR" is intended to have less privileges than an "ADMIN", but still be able to help users with small issues such as forgotten passwords.

This code does not check the role of the user whose password is being reset. It is possible for an Operator to gain Admin privileges by resetting the password of an Admin account and taking control of that account.

BadJava

public enum Roles {ADMIN,OPERATOR,USER,GUEST}                      public void resetPassword(User requestingUser, User user, String password ){                         if(isAuthenticated(requestingUser)){                               switch(requestingUser.role){                                     case GUEST:System.out.println("You are not authorized to perform this command");break;                                        case USER:System.out.println("You are not authorized to perform this command");break;                                        default:setPassword(user,password);break;}                                  }                                                        else{System.out.println("You must be logged in to perform this command");}                      }

Observed CVE Examples (4)

CVE-2005-1736

Chaining of user rights.

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CVE-2002-1772

Gain certain rights via privilege chaining in alternate channel.

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CVE-2005-1973

Application is allowed to assign extra permissions to itself.

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CVE-2003-0640

"operator" user can overwrite usernames and passwords to gain admin privileges.

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Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-268 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-268, Privilege Chaining, 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

Apply Separation of Privilege controls for Privilege Chaining

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design, and Operation; the listed strategies include Separation of Privilege, and Environment Hardening; recorded impacts include Gain Privileges or Assume Identity. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-268 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-268: Privilege Chaining — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-268 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-268, Privilege Chaining, 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-268

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-268, Privilege Chaining. 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-268 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-268, Privilege Chaining. 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-268: Privilege Chaining?+

CWE-268: Privilege Chaining is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. Two distinct privileges, roles, capabilities, or rights can be combined in a way that allows an entity to perform unsafe actions that would not be allowed without that combination.

What are the security consequences of Privilege Chaining?+

If exploited, CWE-268 (Privilege Chaining) it can compromise Access Control, leading to outcomes such as Gain Privileges or Assume Identity.

Which programming languages are affected by Privilege Chaining?+

CWE-268 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 Privilege Chaining?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-268, including CVE-2005-1736, CVE-2002-1772, CVE-2005-1973 and CVE-2003-0640. 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-268 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.

CWE-268: Privilege Chaining

Technical Details

Applicable To

Security Consequences

Scope

Impact

Mitigation Strategies

Detection Methods

Code Examples & CVEs

Demonstrative Examples

Observed CVE Examples (4)

CWE Relationships

Parent Weaknesses

Source-backed guidance

Verify controls for CWE-268 with SSDF evidence

Apply Separation of Privilege controls for Privilege Chaining

Triage CWE-268 against known exploitation evidence

Apply precise root-cause mapping to CWE-268

Validate CWE-268 with root-cause mapping checks

Frequently Asked Questions

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