CWE-760: Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt

Extended Description

This makes it easier for attackers to pre-compute the hash value using dictionary attack techniques such as rainbow tables, effectively disabling the protection that an unpredictable salt would provide. It should be noted that, despite common perceptions, the use of a good salt with a hash does not sufficiently increase the effort for an attacker who is targeting an individual password, or who has a large amount of computing resources available, such as with cloud-based services or specialized, inexpensive hardware. Offline password cracking can still be effective if the hash function is not expensive to compute; many cryptographic functions are designed to be efficient and can be vulnerable to attacks using massive computing resources, even if the hash is cryptographically strong. The use of a salt only slightly increases the computing requirements for an attacker compared to other strategies such as adaptive hash functions. See CWE-916 for more details.

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-760 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-760, Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt, 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 Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design, and Implementation; documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include Bypass Protection Mechanism. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-760 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-760: Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-760 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-760, Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt, 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-760

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-760, Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt. 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-760 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-760, Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt. 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-760: Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt?+

CWE-760: Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. The product uses a one-way cryptographic hash against an input that should not be reversible, such as a password, but the product uses a predictable salt as part of the input. This makes it easier for attackers to pre-compute the hash value using dictionary attack techniques such as rainbow tables, effectively disabling the protection that an unpredictable salt would provide. It should be noted that, despite common perceptions, the use of a good salt with a hash does not sufficiently increase the effort for an attacker who is targeting an individual password, or who has a large amount of computing resources available, such as with cloud-based services or specialized, inexpensive hardware. Offline password cracking can still be effective if the hash function is not expensive to compute; many cryptographic functions are designed to be efficient and can be vulnerable to attacks using massive computing resources, even if the hash is cryptographically strong. The use of a salt only slightly increases the computing requirements for an attacker compared to other strategies such as adaptive hash functions. See CWE-916 for more details.

What are the security consequences of Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt?+

If exploited, CWE-760 (Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt) it can compromise Access Control, leading to outcomes such as Bypass Protection Mechanism.

How do you prevent or mitigate Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-760 include: If a technique that requires extra computational effort can not be implemented, then for each password that is processed, generate a new random salt using a strong random number generator with unpredictable seeds. Add the salt to the plaintext password before hashing it. When storing the hash, also store the salt. Do not use the same salt for every password.

Which programming languages are affected by Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt?+

CWE-760 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 Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-760, including CVE-2008-4905, CVE-2002-1657, CVE-2001-0967 and CVE-2005-0408. 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-760 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-760: Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt

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Observed CVE Examples (4)

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