CWE-1038: Insecure Automated Optimizations
The product uses a mechanism that automatically optimizes code, e.g. to improve a characteristic such as performance, but the optimizations can have an unintended side effect that might violate an intended security assumption.
How it's found
Insecure Automated Optimizations describes a general pattern rather than a single fixed bug. Testers use a mix of static analysis and manual code review to find where a target's code matches this pattern, then confirm exploitability by hand.
Consequences
- Alter Execution Logic: The optimizations alter the order of execution resulting in side effects that were not intended by the original developer.
Where this fits in a TurboPentest engagement
TurboPentest's agentic pentest is powerful and covers a broad range of issues automatically. This particular class is best confirmed in a manual IntegSec engagement, where human pentesters apply deeper methodology and a larger context window than any automated pass.
Frequently asked questions
What is CWE-1038?
The product uses a mechanism that automatically optimizes code, e.g. to improve a characteristic such as performance, but the optimizations can have an unintended side effect that might violate an intended security assumption.
How do you find Insecure Automated Optimizations?
Insecure Automated Optimizations describes a general pattern rather than a single fixed bug. Testers use a mix of static analysis and manual code review to find where a target's code matches this pattern, then confirm exploitability by hand.
What is the impact of CWE-1038?
Alter Execution Logic: The optimizations alter the order of execution resulting in side effects that were not intended by the original developer.
Does TurboPentest test for Insecure Automated Optimizations?
TurboPentest's agentic pentest is powerful and covers a broad range of issues automatically. This particular class is best confirmed in a manual IntegSec engagement, where human pentesters apply deeper methodology and a larger context window than any automated pass.
Related CWEs
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