CAPEC-212 Functionality Misuse

CAPEC ID: 212

CAPEC-212 Metadata

Likelihood of Attack

Medium

Typical Severity

Medium

Overview

Summary

An adversary leverages a legitimate capability of an application in such a way as to achieve a negative technical impact. The system functionality is not altered or modified but used in a way that was not intended. This is often accomplished through the overuse of a specific functionality or by leveraging functionality with design flaws that enables the adversary to gain access to unauthorized, sensitive data.

Prerequisites

The adversary has the capability to interact with the application directly.The target system does not adequately implement safeguards to prevent misuse of authorized actions/processes.

Potential Solutions / Mitigations

Perform comprehensive threat modeling, a process of identifying, evaluating, and mitigating potential threats to the application. This effort can help reveal potentially obscure application functionality that can be manipulated for malicious purposes. When implementing security features, consider how they can be misused and compromised.

Related Weaknesses (CWE)

CWE ID Description
CWE-1242 Inclusion of Undocumented Features or Chicken Bits
CWE-1246 Improper Write Handling in Limited-write Non-Volatile Memories
CWE-1281 Sequence of Processor Instructions Leads to Unexpected Behavior

Stay Ahead of Attack Patterns

Understanding CAPEC patterns helps security professionals anticipate and thwart potential attacks. Leverage these insights to enhance threat modeling, strengthen your software development lifecycle, and train your security teams effectively.