CWE-297: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch

VariantIncompleteExploit Likelihood: High

The product communicates with a host that provides a certificate, but the product does not properly ensure that the certificate is actually associated with that host.

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Extended Description

Even if a certificate is well-formed, signed, and follows the chain of trust, it may simply be a valid certificate for a different site than the site that the product is interacting with. In order to ensure data integrity, the certificate must be valid, and it must pertain to the site that is being accessed. Even if the product attempts to check the hostname, it is still possible to incorrectly check the hostname. For example, attackers could create a certificate with a name that begins with a trusted name followed by a NUL byte, which could cause some string-based comparisons to only examine the portion that contains the trusted name.

Technical Details

Structure
Simple
Vulnerability Mapping
ALLOWED

Applicable To

Languages
Not Language-Specific
Platforms

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-297 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-297, Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch, 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 Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design, and Implementation; documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis, Dynamic Analysis with Manual Results Interpretation, and Black Box; recorded impacts include Gain Privileges or Assume Identity, and Other. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-297 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-297: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-297 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-297, Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch, 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-297

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-297, Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch. 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-297 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-297, Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch. 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-297: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch?+

CWE-297: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product communicates with a host that provides a certificate, but the product does not properly ensure that the certificate is actually associated with that host. Even if a certificate is well-formed, signed, and follows the chain of trust, it may simply be a valid certificate for a different site than the site that the product is interacting with. In order to ensure data integrity, the certificate must be valid, and it must pertain to the site that is being accessed. Even if the product attempts to check the hostname, it is still possible to incorrectly check the hostname. For example, attackers could create a certificate with a name that begins with a trusted name followed by a NUL byte, which could cause some string-based comparisons to only examine the portion that contains the trusted name.

What are the security consequences of Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch?+

If exploited, CWE-297 (Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch) it can compromise Access Control, Authentication and Other, leading to outcomes such as Gain Privileges or Assume Identity and Other.

How do you prevent or mitigate Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-297 include: Fully check the hostname of the certificate and provide the user with adequate information about the nature of the problem and how to proceed. If certificate pinning is being used, ensure that all relevant properties of the certificate are fully validated before the certificate is pinned, including the hostname.

How is Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch detected?+

CWE-297 can be detected using Dynamic Analysis with Manual Results Interpretation and Black Box. Combining automated tooling with manual review typically yields the best coverage.

Which programming languages are affected by Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch?+

CWE-297 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 Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-297, including CVE-2012-5810, CVE-2012-5811, CVE-2012-5807, CVE-2012-3446 and CVE-2009-2408. 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-297 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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