{"@ID": "298", "@Name": "Improper Validation of Certificate Expiration", "@Abstraction": "Variant", "@Structure": "Simple", "@Status": "Draft", "@Diagram": "/data/images/CWE-298-Diagram.png", "Description": "A certificate expiration is not validated or is incorrectly validated.", "Related_Weaknesses": {"Related_Weakness": [{"@Nature": "ChildOf", "@CWE_ID": "295", "@View_ID": "1000", "@Ordinal": "Primary"}, {"@Nature": "ChildOf", "@CWE_ID": "672", "@View_ID": "1000"}]}, "Weakness_Ordinalities": {"Weakness_Ordinality": {"Ordinality": "Primary"}}, "Applicable_Platforms": {"Language": {"@Class": "Not Language-Specific", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}}, "Modes_Of_Introduction": {"Introduction": [{"Phase": "Implementation", "Note": "When the software uses certificate pinning, the developer might not properly validate all relevant components of the certificate before pinning the certificate. This can make it difficult or expensive to test after the pinning is complete."}, {"Phase": "Implementation", "Note": "REALIZATION: This weakness is caused during implementation of an architectural security tactic."}]}, "Likelihood_Of_Exploit": "Low", "Common_Consequences": {"Consequence": [{"Scope": ["Integrity", "Other"], "Impact": "Other", "Note": "The data read from the system vouched for by the expired certificate may be flawed due to malicious spoofing."}, {"Scope": ["Authentication", "Other"], "Impact": "Other", "Note": "Trust may be assigned to certificates that have been abandoned due to age."}]}, "Detection_Methods": {"Detection_Method": {"@Detection_Method_ID": "DM-14", "Method": "Automated Static Analysis", "Description": "Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect \"sources\" (origins of input) with \"sinks\" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)"}}, "Potential_Mitigations": {"Mitigation": [{"Phase": "Architecture and Design", "Description": "Check for expired certificates and provide the user with adequate information about the nature of the problem and how to proceed."}, {"Phase": "Implementation", "Description": "If certificate pinning is being used, ensure that all relevant properties of the certificate are fully validated before the certificate is pinned, including the expiration."}]}, "Demonstrative_Examples": {"Demonstrative_Example": {"@Demonstrative_Example_ID": "DX-123", "Intro_Text": "The following OpenSSL code ensures that there is a certificate and allows the use of expired certificates.", "Example_Code": {"@Nature": "Bad", "@Language": "C", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:br": null, "xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:br": [null, null], "xhtml:i": "//do stuff"}}, "#text": "foo=SSL_get_verify_result(ssl);if ((X509_V_OK==foo) || (X509_V_ERR_CERT_HAS_EXPIRED==foo))"}}, "#text": "if (cert = SSL_get_peer(certificate(ssl)) {"}, "#text_blocks": ["if (cert = SSL_get_peer(certificate(ssl)) {", "foo=SSL_get_verify_result(ssl);", "if ((X509_V_OK==foo) || (X509_V_ERR_CERT_HAS_EXPIRED==foo))", "//do stuff"]}, "Body_Text": "If the call to SSL_get_verify_result() returns X509_V_ERR_CERT_HAS_EXPIRED, this means that the certificate has expired. As time goes on, there is an increasing chance for attackers to compromise the certificate."}}, "Observed_Examples": {"Observed_Example": [{"Reference": "CVE-2025-4384", "Description": "product does not verify that a certificate has expired", "Link": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-4384"}, {"Reference": "CVE-2007-3564", "Description": "web library product does not verify that a certificate has expired", "Link": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2007-3564"}, {"Reference": "CVE-2007-6746", "Description": "IRC product does not check the expiration date of the X.509 certificate", "Link": "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2007-6746"}]}, "Taxonomy_Mappings": {"Taxonomy_Mapping": {"@Taxonomy_Name": "CLASP", "Entry_Name": "Failure to validate certificate expiration"}}, "References": {"Reference": [{"@External_Reference_ID": "REF-18"}, {"@External_Reference_ID": "REF-44", "@Section": "\"Sin 23: Improper Use of PKI, Especially SSL.\" Page 347"}]}, "Mapping_Notes": {"Usage": "Allowed", "Rationale": "This CWE entry is at the Variant level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.", "Comments": "Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.", "Reasons": {"Reason": {"@Type": "Acceptable-Use"}}}, "Content_History": {"Submission": {"Submission_Name": "CLASP", "Submission_Date": "2006-07-19", "Submission_Version": "Draft 3", "Submission_ReleaseDate": "2006-07-19"}, "Modification": [{"Modification_Name": "Eric Dalci", "Modification_Organization": "Cigital", "Modification_Date": "2008-07-01", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Time_of_Introduction"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2008-09-08", "Modification_Version": "1.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2008-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Other_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2009-03-10", "Modification_Version": "1.3", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2009-03-10", "Modification_Comment": "updated Description, Name, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2009-05-27", "Modification_Version": "1.4", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2009-05-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Demonstrative_Examples"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2009-07-27", "Modification_Version": "1.5", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2009-07-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Demonstrative_Examples"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2009-10-29", "Modification_Version": "1.6", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2009-10-29", "Modification_Comment": "updated Description, Other_Notes"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2011-06-01", "Modification_Version": "1.13", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2011-06-01", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2012-05-11", "Modification_Version": "2.2", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2012-05-15", "Modification_Comment": "updated References, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2013-02-21", "Modification_Version": "2.4", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2013-02-21", "Modification_Comment": "updated Applicable_Platforms, Demonstrative_Examples, Relationships, Type"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2013-07-17", "Modification_Version": "2.5", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2013-07-17", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2014-07-30", "Modification_Version": "2.8", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2014-07-31", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2017-11-08", "Modification_Version": "3.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2017-11-08", "Modification_Comment": "updated Demonstrative_Examples, Modes_of_Introduction, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2018-03-27", "Modification_Version": "3.1", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2018-03-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences, Modes_of_Introduction, Potential_Mitigations, Time_of_Introduction"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2019-09-19", "Modification_Version": "3.4", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2019-09-19", "Modification_Comment": "updated Demonstrative_Examples"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2020-02-24", "Modification_Version": "4.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2020-02-24", "Modification_Comment": "updated References, Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-04-27", "Modification_Version": "4.11", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-04-27", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships, Time_of_Introduction"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-06-29", "Modification_Version": "4.12", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-06-29", "Modification_Comment": "updated Mapping_Notes"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2025-12-11", "Modification_Version": "4.19", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2025-12-11", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships, Weakness_Ordinalities"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2026-04-30", "Modification_Version": "4.20", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2026-04-30", "Modification_Comment": "updated Common_Consequences, Description, Diagram, Observed_Examples"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2026-10-28", "Modification_Version": "5.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2026-10-28", "Modification_Comment": "updated Detection_Factors, Observed_Examples"}], "Previous_Entry_Name": {"@Date": "2009-03-10", "#text": "Failure to Validate Certificate Expiration"}}, "entry_type": "Weakness"}