CWE-273: Improper Check for Dropped Privileges
low-riskThe product attempts to drop privileges but does not check or incorrectly checks to see if the drop succeeded.
Abstraction: Base
Common Consequences
Access Control
→
Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Access Control
→
Gain Privileges or Assume Identity
Detection Methods
Automated Static Analysis
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.)
Real-World Examples (10)
| CVE | CVSS | EPSS | KEV |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2011-2921 | 9.8 | 71.6% | — |
| CVE-2019-18276 | 7.8 | 49.6% | — |
| CVE-2019-18276 | 7.8 | 49.6% | — |
| CVE-2024-38813 | 7.5 | 29.5% | Y |
| CVE-2024-38813 | 7.5 | 29.5% | Y |
| CVE-2017-6972 | 9.8 | 19.1% | — |
| CVE-2024-25420 | 7.2 | 1.6% | — |
| CVE-2021-36372 | 9.8 | 0.6% | — |
| CVE-2021-36372 | 9.8 | 0.6% | — |
| CVE-2020-24361 | 9.8 | 0.6% | — |
13
/ 100
low-risk
Active Threat
10/50 · Low
Exploit Availability
3/50 · Minimal