CWE-1188 Base Incomplete

Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default

This vulnerability occurs when software uses an insecure default setting or value for a resource, assuming an administrator will change it later.

Definition

What is CWE-1188?

This vulnerability occurs when software uses an insecure default setting or value for a resource, assuming an administrator will change it later.
Developers often set open, permissive defaults to make a product easy to install and use right away. The security model relies entirely on the administrator remembering to change these defaults to a more secure configuration, which is a risky assumption. This creates an 'out-of-the-box' vulnerability where the system is insecure from the moment it's installed. The resulting security gap remains until an admin takes action, leaving a window of exposure that attackers can easily discover and exploit.
Real-world impact

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1188

  • CVE-2022-36349

    insecure default variable initialization in BIOS firmware for a hardware board allows DoS

  • CVE-2022-42467

    A generic database browser interface has a default mode that exposes a web server to the network, allowing queries to the database.

How attackers exploit it

Step-by-step attacker path

  1. 1

    This code attempts to login a user using credentials from a POST request:

  2. 2

    Because the $authorized variable is never initialized, PHP will automatically set $authorized to any value included in the POST request if register_globals is enabled. An attacker can send a POST request with an unexpected third value 'authorized' set to 'true' and gain authorized status without supplying valid credentials.

  3. 3

    Here is a fixed version:

  4. 4

    This code avoids the issue by initializing the $authorized variable to false and explicitly retrieving the login credentials from the $_POST variable. Regardless, register_globals should never be enabled and is disabled by default in current versions of PHP.

Vulnerable code example

Vulnerable PHP

This code attempts to login a user using credentials from a POST request:

Vulnerable PHP 
```
// $user and $pass automatically set from POST request* 
  if (login_user($user,$pass)) {
  ```
  	$authorized = true;
  }
```
...* 
  
  if ($authorized) {
  ```
  	generatePage();
  }
Secure code example

Secure PHP

Here is a fixed version:

Secure PHP 
$user = $_POST['user'];
  $pass = $_POST['pass'];
  $authorized = false;
  if (login_user($user,$pass)) {
  	$authorized = true;
  }
```
...*
What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.
Prevention checklist

How to prevent CWE-1188

  • Architecture Use safe-by-default frameworks and APIs that prevent the unsafe pattern from being expressible.
  • Implementation Validate input at trust boundaries; use allowlists, not denylists.
  • Implementation Apply the principle of least privilege to credentials, file paths, and runtime permissions.
  • Testing Cover this weakness in CI: SAST rules + targeted unit tests for the data flow.
  • Operation Monitor logs for the runtime signals listed in the next section.
Detection signals

How to detect CWE-1188

SAST High

Run static analysis (SAST) on the codebase looking for the unsafe pattern in the data flow.

DAST Moderate

Run dynamic application security testing against the live endpoint.

Runtime Moderate

Watch runtime logs for unusual exception traces, malformed input, or authorization bypass attempts.

Code review Moderate

Code review: flag any new code that handles input from this surface without using the validated framework helpers.

Plexicus auto-fix

Plexicus auto-detects CWE-1188 and opens a fix PR in under 60 seconds.

Codex Remedium scans every commit, identifies this exact weakness, and ships a reviewer-ready pull request with the patch. No tickets. No hand-offs.

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Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is CWE-1188?

This vulnerability occurs when software uses an insecure default setting or value for a resource, assuming an administrator will change it later.

How serious is CWE-1188?

MITRE has not published a likelihood-of-exploit rating for this weakness. Treat it as medium-impact until your threat model proves otherwise.

What languages or platforms are affected by CWE-1188?

MITRE has not specified affected platforms for this CWE — it can apply across most application stacks.

How can I prevent CWE-1188?

Use safe-by-default frameworks, validate untrusted input at trust boundaries, and apply the principle of least privilege. Cover the data-flow signature in CI with SAST.

How does Plexicus detect and fix CWE-1188?

Plexicus's SAST engine matches the data-flow signature for CWE-1188 on every commit. When a match is found, our Codex Remedium agent opens a fix PR with the corrected code, tests, and a one-line summary for the reviewer.

Where can I learn more about CWE-1188?

MITRE publishes the canonical definition at https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1188.html. You can also reference OWASP and NIST documentation for adjacent guidance.

Related weaknesses

Weaknesses related to CWE-1188

CWE-1419 Parent

Incorrect Initialization of Resource

This weakness occurs when a system fails to properly set up a resource during its creation, leaving it in an unstable, incorrect, or…

CWE-1051 Sibling

Initialization with Hard-Coded Network Resource Configuration Data

This vulnerability occurs when software uses fixed, hard-coded values—like IP addresses, domain names, or URLs—to identify network…

CWE-1052 Sibling

Excessive Use of Hard-Coded Literals in Initialization

This weakness occurs when software initializes variables or data structures using hard-coded values (like strings, file paths, or network…

CWE-1221 Sibling

Incorrect Register Defaults or Module Parameters

This vulnerability occurs when hardware description language (HDL) code sets insecure default values for hardware registers or…

CWE-454 Sibling

External Initialization of Trusted Variables or Data Stores

This vulnerability occurs when an application sets up its critical internal variables or storage systems using data from untrusted,…

CWE-453 Child

Insecure Default Variable Initialization

This vulnerability occurs when software sets an internal variable to an insecure or unnecessarily weak default value during…

Resources

Further reading

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