CWE-620: Unverified Password Change

BaseDraft

When setting a new password for a user, the product does not require knowledge of the original password, or using another form of authentication.

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Extended Description

This could be used by an attacker to change passwords for another user, thus gaining the privileges associated with that user.

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-620 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-620, Unverified Password Change, 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 Unverified Password Change during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design; recorded impacts include Bypass Protection Mechanism, and Gain Privileges or Assume Identity; observed examples include CVE-2025-4903, CVE-2007-0681, and CVE-2000-0944. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-620 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-620: Unverified Password Change — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-620 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-620, Unverified Password Change, 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-620

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-620, Unverified Password Change. 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-620 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-620, Unverified Password Change. 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-620: Unverified Password Change?+

CWE-620: Unverified Password Change is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. When setting a new password for a user, the product does not require knowledge of the original password, or using another form of authentication. This could be used by an attacker to change passwords for another user, thus gaining the privileges associated with that user.

What are the security consequences of Unverified Password Change?+

If exploited, CWE-620 (Unverified Password Change) it can compromise Access Control, leading to outcomes such as Bypass Protection Mechanism and Gain Privileges or Assume Identity.

How do you prevent or mitigate Unverified Password Change?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-620 include: When prompting for a password change, force the user to provide the original password in addition to the new password. Do not use "forgotten password" functionality. But if you must, ensure that you are only providing information to the actual user, e.g. by using an email address or challenge question that the legitimate user already provided in the past; do not allow the current user to change this identity information until the correct password has been provided.

Which programming languages are affected by Unverified Password Change?+

CWE-620 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 Unverified Password Change?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-620, including CVE-2025-4903, CVE-2007-0681 and CVE-2000-0944. 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-620 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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