The product stores sensitive information in cleartext in a cookie.
View on MITREAttackers can use widely-available tools to view the cookie and read the sensitive information. Even if the information is encoded in a way that is not human-readable, certain techniques could determine which encoding is being used, then decode the information.
No mitigation information available for this CWE.
No detection method information available for this CWE.
The following code excerpt stores a plaintext user account ID in a browser cookie.
Because the account ID is in plaintext, the user's account information is exposed if their computer is compromised by an attacker.
response.addCookie( new Cookie("userAccountID", acctID) );Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.
Documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include Read Application Data; the entry maps to CAPEC-31, CAPEC-37, CAPEC-39, and CAPEC-74. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-315 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.
CWE-315: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in a Cookie — MITRE CWEUse NIST SSDF practices to make prevention of CWE-315, Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in a Cookie, 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 TechnologyUse CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-315, Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in a Cookie, 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 AgencyApply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-315, Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in a Cookie. 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 CWEApply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-315, Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in a Cookie. 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 CWECWE-315: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in a Cookie is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product stores sensitive information in cleartext in a cookie. Attackers can use widely-available tools to view the cookie and read the sensitive information. Even if the information is encoded in a way that is not human-readable, certain techniques could determine which encoding is being used, then decode the information.
If exploited, CWE-315 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in a Cookie) it can compromise Confidentiality, leading to outcomes such as Read Application Data.
CWE-315 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-315, including CVE-2002-1800, CVE-2001-1537, CVE-2001-1536 and CVE-2005-2160. 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-315 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.