CWE-565: Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking

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The product relies on the existence or values of cookies when performing security-critical operations, but it does not properly ensure that the setting is valid for the associated user.

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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-565 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-565, Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking, 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 Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design, and Implementation; documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include Modify Application Data, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands, and Gain Privileges or Assume Identity. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-565 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-565: Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-565 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-565, Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking, 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-565

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-565, Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking. 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-565 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-565, Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking. 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-565: Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking?+

CWE-565: Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product relies on the existence or values of cookies when performing security-critical operations, but it does not properly ensure that the setting is valid for the associated user.

What are the security consequences of Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking?+

If exploited, CWE-565 (Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking) it can compromise Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability and Access Control, leading to outcomes such as Modify Application Data, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands and Gain Privileges or Assume Identity.

How do you prevent or mitigate Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-565 include: Avoid using cookie data for a security-related decision. Perform thorough input validation (i.e.: server side validation) on the cookie data if you're going to use it for a security related decision. Add integrity checks to detect tampering.

Which programming languages are affected by Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking?+

CWE-565 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 Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-565, including CVE-2008-5784. 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-565 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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