CWE-778: Insufficient Logging

BaseDraftExploit Likelihood: Medium

When a security-critical event occurs, the product either does not record the event or omits important details about the event when logging it.

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Extended Description

When security-critical events are not logged properly, such as a failed login attempt, this can make malicious behavior more difficult to detect and may hinder forensic analysis after an attack succeeds. As organizations adopt cloud storage resources, these technologies often require configuration changes to enable detailed logging information, since detailed logging can incur additional costs. This could lead to telemetry gaps in critical audit logs. For example, in Azure, the default value for logging is disabled.

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-778 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-778, Insufficient Logging, 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 FrameworkNational Institute of Standards and Technology

Address Insufficient Logging during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design, Implementation, and Operation; documented detection approaches include Automated Static Analysis; recorded impacts include Hide Activities. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-778 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-778: Insufficient LoggingMITRE CWE

Triage CWE-778 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-778, Insufficient Logging, 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 CatalogCybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Apply precise root-cause mapping to CWE-778

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-778, Insufficient Logging. 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 GuidanceMITRE CWE

Validate CWE-778 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-778, Insufficient Logging. 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 TipsMITRE CWE

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CWE-778: Insufficient Logging?+

CWE-778: Insufficient Logging is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. When a security-critical event occurs, the product either does not record the event or omits important details about the event when logging it. When security-critical events are not logged properly, such as a failed login attempt, this can make malicious behavior more difficult to detect and may hinder forensic analysis after an attack succeeds. As organizations adopt cloud storage resources, these technologies often require configuration changes to enable detailed logging information, since detailed logging can incur additional costs. This could lead to telemetry gaps in critical audit logs. For example, in Azure, the default value for logging is disabled.

What are the security consequences of Insufficient Logging?+

If exploited, CWE-778 (Insufficient Logging) it can compromise Non-Repudiation, leading to outcomes such as Hide Activities.

How do you prevent or mitigate Insufficient Logging?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-778 include: Use a centralized logging mechanism that supports multiple levels of detail. Ensure that all security-related successes and failures can be logged. When storing data in the cloud (e.g., AWS S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to enable and capture detailed logging information. Be sure to set the level of logging appropriately in a production environment. Sufficient data should be logged to enable system administrators to detect attacks, diagnose errors, and recover from attacks. At the same time, logging too much data (CWE-779) can cause the same problems, including unexpected costs when using a cloud environment.

Which programming languages are affected by Insufficient Logging?+

CWE-778 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 Insufficient Logging?+

MITRE documents real CVEs mapped to CWE-778, including CVE-2008-4315, CVE-2008-1203, CVE-2007-3730, CVE-2007-1225 and CVE-2003-1566. 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-778 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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