Login pages do not use adequate measures to protect the user name and password while they are in transit from the client to the server.
View on MITREEnforce SSL use for the login page or any page used to transmit user credentials or other sensitive information. Even if the entire site does not use SSL, it MUST use SSL for login. Additionally, to help prevent phishing attacks, make sure that SSL serves the login page. SSL allows the user to verify the identity of the server to which they are connecting. If the SSL serves login page, the user can be certain they are talking to the proper end system. A phishing attack would typically redirect a user to a site that does not have a valid trusted server certificate issued from an authorized supplier.
No detection method information available for this CWE.
No examples or observed CVEs available for this CWE.
CWE-523: Unprotected Transport of Credentials is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. Login pages do not use adequate measures to protect the user name and password while they are in transit from the client to the server.
If exploited, CWE-523 (Unprotected Transport of Credentials) it can compromise Access Control, leading to outcomes such as Gain Privileges or Assume Identity.
Recommended mitigations for CWE-523 include: Enforce SSL use for the login page or any page used to transmit user credentials or other sensitive information. Even if the entire site does not use SSL, it MUST use SSL for login. Additionally, to help prevent phishing attacks, make sure that SSL serves the login page. SSL allows the user to verify the identity of the server to which they are connecting. If the SSL serves login page, the user can be certain they are talking to the proper end system. A phishing attack would typically redirect a user to a site that does not have a valid trusted server certificate issued from an authorized supplier.
A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-523 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.