CWE-304: Missing Critical Step in Authentication

BaseDraft

The product implements an authentication technique, but it skips a step that weakens the technique.

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Extended Description

Authentication techniques should follow the algorithms that define them exactly, otherwise authentication can be bypassed or more easily subjected to brute force attacks.

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.

Detect Missing Critical Step in Authentication with Automated Static Analysis

Documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include Bypass Protection Mechanism, Gain Privileges or Assume Identity, Read Application Data, and Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; observed examples include CVE-2004-2163, and CVE-2005-3327. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-304 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-304: Missing Critical Step in Authentication — MITRE CWE

Prevent CWE-304 through an SSDF control plan

Use NIST SSDF practices to make prevention of CWE-304, Missing Critical Step in Authentication, an explicit development outcome. Translate the CWE definition into security requirements and design constraints, choose safer implementation patterns and toolchain checks, and define acceptance evidence before release. Feed every confirmed occurrence back into the requirements, design review, and coding rules so the same root cause is removed across the product rather than patched in one location.

NIST SP 800-218 Secure Software Development Framework — National Institute of Standards and Technology

Triage CWE-304 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-304, Missing Critical Step in Authentication, 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-304

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-304, Missing Critical Step in Authentication. 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-304 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-304, Missing Critical Step in Authentication. 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-304: Missing Critical Step in Authentication?+

CWE-304: Missing Critical Step in Authentication is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product implements an authentication technique, but it skips a step that weakens the technique. Authentication techniques should follow the algorithms that define them exactly, otherwise authentication can be bypassed or more easily subjected to brute force attacks.

What are the security consequences of Missing Critical Step in Authentication?+

If exploited, CWE-304 (Missing Critical Step in Authentication) it can compromise Access Control, Integrity and Confidentiality, leading to outcomes such as Bypass Protection Mechanism, Gain Privileges or Assume Identity, Read Application Data and Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands.

Which programming languages are affected by Missing Critical Step in Authentication?+

CWE-304 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 Missing Critical Step in Authentication?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-304, including CVE-2004-2163 and CVE-2005-3327. 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-304 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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