CWE-9: J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods

Extended Description

If the EJB deployment descriptor contains one or more method permissions that grant access to the special ANYONE role, it indicates that access control for the application has not been fully thought through or that the application is structured in such a way that reasonable access control restrictions are impossible.

Code Examples & CVEs

Demonstrative Examples

The following deployment descriptor grants ANYONE permission to invoke the Employee EJB's method named getSalary().

BadXML

<ejb-jar>...<assembly-descriptor><method-permission><role-name>ANYONE</role-name><method><ejb-name>Employee</ejb-name><method-name>getSalary</method-name></method-permission></assembly-descriptor>...</ejb-jar>

Source-backed guidance

Additional facts reviewed against primary or authoritative security sources.

Verify controls for CWE-9 with SSDF evidence

Use NIST SSDF verification and vulnerability-response practices to detect CWE-9, J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods, 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 J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods during Architecture and Design

MITRE associates mitigation with Architecture and Design, and System Configuration; recorded impacts include Other; related weaknesses include CWE-266. Use these source-defined anchors to turn CWE-9 into implementation, review, and verification checks for the affected component.

CWE-9: J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods — MITRE CWE

Triage CWE-9 against known exploitation evidence

Use CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog to test whether a vulnerability mapped to CWE-9, J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods, 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-9

Apply MITRE's full root-cause mapping guidance when using CWE-9, J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods. 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-9 with root-cause mapping checks

Apply MITRE's root-cause mapping quick tips to CWE-9, J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods. 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-9: J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods?+

CWE-9: J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods is a Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) entry maintained by MITRE. If elevated access rights are assigned to EJB methods, then an attacker can take advantage of the permissions to exploit the product. If the EJB deployment descriptor contains one or more method permissions that grant access to the special ANYONE role, it indicates that access control for the application has not been fully thought through or that the application is structured in such a way that reasonable access control restrictions are impossible.

What are the security consequences of J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods?+

If exploited, CWE-9 (J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods) it can compromise Other, leading to outcomes such as Other.

How do you prevent or mitigate J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods?+

Recommended mitigations for CWE-9 include: Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to EJB methods. Permission to invoke EJB methods should not be granted to the ANYONE role.

Which programming languages are affected by J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods?+

CWE-9 commonly affects Java. Note that weaknesses are often language-agnostic patterns, so secure coding practices apply broadly.

What is the difference between a CWE and a CVE?+

A CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) like CWE-9 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-9: J2EE Misconfiguration: Weak Access Permissions for EJB Methods

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