The product uses an IP address for authentication.
View on MITREIP addresses can be easily spoofed. Attackers can forge the source IP address of the packets they send, but response packets will return to the forged IP address. To see the response packets, the attacker has to sniff the traffic between the victim machine and the forged IP address. In order to accomplish the required sniffing, attackers typically attempt to locate themselves on the same subnet as the victim machine. Attackers may be able to circumvent this requirement by using source routing, but source routing is disabled across much of the Internet today. In summary, IP address verification can be a useful part of an authentication scheme, but it should not be the single factor required for authentication.
Malicious users can fake authentication information, impersonating any IP address.
Use other means of identity verification that cannot be simply spoofed. Possibilities include a username/password or certificate.
No detection method information available for this CWE.
Both of these examples check if a request is from a trusted address before responding to the request.
The code only verifies the address as stored in the request packet. An attacker can spoof this address, thus impersonating a trusted client.
Both of these examples check if a request is from a trusted address before responding to the request.
The code only verifies the address as stored in the request packet. An attacker can spoof this address, thus impersonating a trusted client.
S-bus functionality in a home automation product performs access control using an IP allowlist, which can be bypassed by a forged IP address.
View DetailsCWE-291: Reliance on IP Address for Authentication is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product uses an IP address for authentication. IP addresses can be easily spoofed. Attackers can forge the source IP address of the packets they send, but response packets will return to the forged IP address. To see the response packets, the attacker has to sniff the traffic between the victim machine and the forged IP address. In order to accomplish the required sniffing, attackers typically attempt to locate themselves on the same subnet as the victim machine. Attackers may be able to circumvent this requirement by using source routing, but source routing is disabled across much of the Internet today. In summary, IP address verification can be a useful part of an authentication scheme, but it should not be the single factor required for authentication.
If exploited, CWE-291 (Reliance on IP Address for Authentication) it can compromise Access Control and Non-Repudiation, leading to outcomes such as Hide Activities and Gain Privileges or Assume Identity.
Recommended mitigations for CWE-291 include: Use other means of identity verification that cannot be simply spoofed. Possibilities include a username/password or certificate.
CWE-291 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-291, including CVE-2022-30319. 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-291 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.