CWE-425: Direct Request ('Forced Browsing')

BaseIncomplete

The web application does not adequately enforce appropriate authorization on all restricted URLs, scripts, or files.

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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-425 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-425, Direct Request ('Forced Browsing'), 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 Direct Request ('Forced Browsing') during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design, and Operation; recorded impacts include Read Application Data, Modify Application Data, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands, and Gain Privileges or Assume Identity; the entry maps to CAPEC-127, CAPEC-143, CAPEC-144, and CAPEC-668. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-425 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-425: Direct Request ('Forced Browsing') — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-425 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-425, Direct Request ('Forced Browsing'), 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-425

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-425, Direct Request ('Forced Browsing'). 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-425 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-425, Direct Request ('Forced Browsing'). 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-425: Direct Request ('Forced Browsing')?+

CWE-425: Direct Request ('Forced Browsing') is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The web application does not adequately enforce appropriate authorization on all restricted URLs, scripts, or files.

What are the security consequences of Direct Request ('Forced Browsing')?+

If exploited, CWE-425 (Direct Request ('Forced Browsing')) it can compromise Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability and Access Control, leading to outcomes such as Read Application Data, Modify Application Data, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands and Gain Privileges or Assume Identity.

How do you prevent or mitigate Direct Request ('Forced Browsing')?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-425 include: Apply appropriate access control authorizations for each access to all restricted URLs, scripts or files. Consider using MVC based frameworks such as Struts.

Which programming languages are affected by Direct Request ('Forced Browsing')?+

CWE-425 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 Direct Request ('Forced Browsing')?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-425, including CVE-2022-29238, CVE-2004-2144, CVE-2005-1892, CVE-2004-2257 and CVE-2005-1688. 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-425 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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