CWE-671: Lack of Administrator Control over Security

ClassDraft

The product uses security features in a way that prevents the product's administrator from tailoring security settings to reflect the environment in which the product is being used. This introduces resultant weaknesses or prevents it from operating at a level of security that is desired by the administrator.

View on MITRE

Extended Description

If the product's administrator does not have the ability to manage security-related decisions at all times, then protecting the product from outside threats - including the product's developer - can become impossible. For example, a hard-coded account name and password cannot be changed by the administrator, thus exposing that product to attacks that the administrator can not prevent.

Code Examples & CVEs

Demonstrative Examples

The following code is an example of an internal hard-coded password in the back-end:

Every instance of this program can be placed into diagnostic mode with the same password. Even worse is the fact that if this program is distributed as a binary-only distribution, it is very difficult to change that password or disable this "functionality."

BadC

int VerifyAdmin(char *password) {                if (strcmp(password, "Mew!")) {                                printf("Incorrect Password!\n");return(0)                }printf("Entering Diagnostic Mode...\n");return(1);                }

The following code is an example of an internal hard-coded password in the back-end:

BadJava

int VerifyAdmin(String password) {if (!password.equals("Mew!")) {return(0)}//Diagnostic Modereturn(1);}

Observed CVE Examples (2)

CVE-2022-29953

Condition Monitor firmware has a maintenance interface with hard-coded credentials

View Details

CVE-2000-0127

GUI configuration tool does not enable a security option when a checkbox is selected, although that option is honored when manually set in the configuration file.

View Details

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-671 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-671, Lack of Administrator Control over Security, 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

Make elimination of CWE-671 a product outcome

Apply CISA's Secure by Design principle of taking ownership of customer security outcomes to CWE-671, Lack of Administrator Control over Security. Put the weakness in the product threat model and security roadmap, fund class-level design and platform changes, prefer safe defaults and reusable guardrails, and publish measurable progress. Do not transfer the primary burden to customer configuration when the manufacturer can remove or contain the root cause in the product.

Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Secure by Design Software — Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Connect Lack of Administrator Control over Security to documented attack evidence

Recorded impacts include Varies by Context; observed examples include CVE-2022-29953, and CVE-2000-0127; related weaknesses include CWE-657. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-671 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-671: Lack of Administrator Control over Security — MITRE CWE

Apply precise root-cause mapping to CWE-671

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-671, Lack of Administrator Control over Security. 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-671 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-671, Lack of Administrator Control over Security. 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-671: Lack of Administrator Control over Security?+

CWE-671: Lack of Administrator Control over Security is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product uses security features in a way that prevents the product's administrator from tailoring security settings to reflect the environment in which the product is being used. This introduces resultant weaknesses or prevents it from operating at a level of security that is desired by the administrator. If the product's administrator does not have the ability to manage security-related decisions at all times, then protecting the product from outside threats - including the product's developer - can become impossible. For example, a hard-coded account name and password cannot be changed by the administrator, thus exposing that product to attacks that the administrator can not prevent.

What are the security consequences of Lack of Administrator Control over Security?+

If exploited, CWE-671 (Lack of Administrator Control over Security) it can compromise Other, leading to outcomes such as Varies by Context.

Which programming languages are affected by Lack of Administrator Control over Security?+

CWE-671 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 Lack of Administrator Control over Security?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-671, including CVE-2022-29953 and CVE-2000-0127. 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-671 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.

CWE-671: Lack of Administrator Control over Security

Extended Description

Technical Details

Applicable To

Security Consequences

Scope

Impact

Mitigation Strategies

Detection Methods