CWE-669: Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres
The product does not properly transfer a resource/behavior to another sphere, or improperly imports a resource/behavior from another sphere, in a manner that provides unintended control over that resource.
How it's found
Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres 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.
Vulnerable vs. safe
bw.write(line);bw.newLine();bw.flush();if (line.indexOf(boundary) == -1) {}BufferedWriter bw = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(uploadLocation+filename, true));for (String line; (line=br.readLine())!=null; ) {} //end of for loopbw.close();// extract the filename from the Http headerBufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(request.getInputStream()));...pLine = br.readLine();String filename = pLine.substring(pLine.lastIndexOf("\\"), pLine.lastIndexOf("\""));...// output the file to the local upload directorytry {} catch (IOException ex) {...}// output successful upload response HTML pageresponse.setContentType("text/html");PrintWriter out = response.getWriter();String contentType = request.getContentType();// the starting position of the boundary headerint ind = contentType.indexOf("boundary=");String boundary = contentType.substring(ind+9);String pLine = new String();String uploadLocation = new String(UPLOAD_DIRECTORY_STRING); //Constant value// verify that content type is multipart form dataif (contentType != null && contentType.indexOf("multipart/form-data") != -1) {}// output unsuccessful upload response HTML pageelse{...}
......protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {}public class FileUploadServlet extends HttpServlet {}<form action="FileUploadServlet" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">Choose a file to upload:<input type="file" name="filename"/><br/><input type="submit" name="submit" value="Submit"/></form>Consequences
- Read Application Data, Modify Application Data, Unexpected State
Where this fits in a TurboPentest engagement
This weakness is not covered by the automated black-box pentest. IntegSec pentesters cover it in a manual engagement.
Frequently asked questions
What is CWE-669?
The product does not properly transfer a resource/behavior to another sphere, or improperly imports a resource/behavior from another sphere, in a manner that provides unintended control over that resource.
How do you find Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres?
Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres 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-669?
Read Application Data, Modify Application Data, Unexpected State
Does TurboPentest test for Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres?
This weakness is not covered by the automated black-box pentest. IntegSec pentesters cover it in a manual engagement.
Related CWEs
Written and reviewed by
Michel Chamberland - Founder & CEO, IntegSec
CISSP, OSCP, OSCE, CEH, GIAC, CCSK · 20+ years in offensive security
Michel has spent 20+ years on offensive security teams including IBM X-Force Red and Trustwave SpiderLabs, leading penetration tests, red team engagements, and breach response for Fortune 500 customers. He is the founder of IntegSec and the architect of TurboPentest.
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