{"@ID": "780", "@Name": "Use of RSA Algorithm without OAEP", "@Abstraction": "Variant", "@Structure": "Simple", "@Status": "Incomplete", "Description": "The product uses the RSA algorithm but does not incorporate Optimal Asymmetric Encryption Padding (OAEP), which might weaken the encryption.", "Extended_Description": "Padding schemes are often used with cryptographic algorithms to make the plaintext less predictable and complicate attack efforts. The OAEP scheme is often used with RSA to nullify the impact of predictable common text.", "Related_Weaknesses": {"Related_Weakness": {"@Nature": "ChildOf", "@CWE_ID": "327", "@View_ID": "1000", "@Ordinal": "Primary"}}, "Weakness_Ordinalities": {"Weakness_Ordinality": {"Ordinality": "Primary"}}, "Applicable_Platforms": {"Language": {"@Class": "Not Language-Specific", "@Prevalence": "Undetermined"}}, "Modes_Of_Introduction": {"Introduction": {"Phase": "Implementation", "Note": "REALIZATION: This weakness is caused during implementation of an architectural security tactic."}}, "Likelihood_Of_Exploit": "Medium", "Common_Consequences": {"Consequence": {"Scope": "Access Control", "Impact": "Bypass Protection Mechanism", "Note": "Without OAEP in RSA encryption, it will take less work for an attacker to decrypt the data or to infer patterns from the ciphertext."}}, "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.)", "Effectiveness": "High"}}, "Demonstrative_Examples": {"Demonstrative_Example": {"Intro_Text": "The example below attempts to build an RSA cipher.", "Example_Code": [{"@Nature": "Bad", "@Language": "Java", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:br": [null, null, null, null], "xhtml:div": [{"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "rsa = javax.crypto.Cipher.getInstance(\"RSA/NONE/NoPadding\");"}, {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "log(\"this should never happen\", e);"}, {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "log(\"this should never happen\", e);"}], "#text": "Cipher rsa = null;try {}catch (java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException e) {}catch (javax.crypto.NoSuchPaddingException e) {}return rsa;"}, "#text": "public Cipher getRSACipher() {}"}}, {"@Nature": "Good", "@Language": "Java", "xhtml:div": {"xhtml:div": {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "xhtml:br": [null, null, null, null], "xhtml:div": [{"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "rsa = javax.crypto.Cipher.getInstance(\"RSA/ECB/OAEPWithMD5AndMGF1Padding\");"}, {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "log(\"this should never happen\", e);"}, {"@style": "margin-left:1em;", "#text": "log(\"this should never happen\", e);"}], "#text": "Cipher rsa = null;try {}catch (java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException e) {}catch (javax.crypto.NoSuchPaddingException e) {}return rsa;"}, "#text": "public Cipher getRSACipher() {}"}}], "Body_Text": "While the previous code successfully creates an RSA cipher, the cipher does not use padding. The following code creates an RSA cipher using OAEP."}}, "References": {"Reference": [{"@External_Reference_ID": "REF-694"}, {"@External_Reference_ID": "REF-695"}]}, "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"}}}, "Notes": {"Note": {"@Type": "Maintenance", "#text": "This entry could probably have a new parent related to improper padding, however the role of padding in cryptographic algorithms can vary, such as hiding the length of the plaintext and providing additional random bits for the cipher. In general, cryptographic problems in CWE are not well organized and further research is needed."}}, "Content_History": {"Submission": {"Submission_Organization": "Fortify Software", "Submission_Date": "2009-07-08", "Submission_Version": "1.5", "Submission_ReleaseDate": "2009-07-27", "Submission_Comment": "Based on information from Fortify Software."}, "Modification": [{"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": "2017-11-08", "Modification_Version": "3.0", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2017-11-08", "Modification_Comment": "updated Modes_of_Introduction, References, Relationships"}, {"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 Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2021-10-28", "Modification_Version": "4.6", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2021-10-28", "Modification_Comment": "updated Relationships"}, {"Modification_Name": "CWE Content Team", "Modification_Organization": "MITRE", "Modification_Date": "2023-01-31", "Modification_Version": "4.10", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2023-01-31", "Modification_Comment": "updated Description"}, {"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 Detection_Factors, References, 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": "2025-09-09", "Modification_Version": "4.18", "Modification_ReleaseDate": "2025-09-09", "Modification_Comment": "updated References"}, {"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 Applicable_Platforms, Relationships, Weakness_Ordinalities"}]}}