CWE-1301 Base Incomplete

Insufficient or Incomplete Data Removal within Hardware Component

The product's data removal process fails to completely erase all data from hardware components, potentially leaving sensitive information behind.

Definition

What is CWE-1301?

The product's data removal process fails to completely erase all data from hardware components, potentially leaving sensitive information behind.
When you delete data from hardware, physical properties of the device can cause information to persist—a problem known as data remanence. For example, magnetic media can retain traces of old data, residual electrical charge can linger in memory chips (ROM/RAM), and screen burn-in can preserve visual information, even after standard erasure and power removal. This happens because repeatedly writing the same value to a memory location can physically alter the cells. Even after overwriting, these minute physical changes allow the original data to be recovered through specialized analysis. Essentially, the hardware itself remembers more than your software commands it to forget, creating a security risk where supposedly deleted data remains accessible.
Real-world impact

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1301

  • CVE-2019-8575

    Firmware Data Deletion Vulnerability in which a base station factory reset might not delete all user information. The impact of this enables a new owner of a used device that has been "factory-default reset" with a vulnerable firmware version can still retrieve, at least, the previous owner's wireless network name, and the previous owner's wireless security (such as WPA2) key. This issue was addressed with improved, data deletion.

How attackers exploit it

Step-by-step attacker path

  1. 1

    Identify a code path that handles untrusted input without validation.

  2. 2

    Craft a payload that exercises the unsafe behavior — injection, traversal, overflow, or logic abuse.

  3. 3

    Deliver the payload through a normal request and observe the application's reaction.

  4. 4

    Iterate until the response leaks data, executes attacker code, or escalates privileges.

Vulnerable code example

Vulnerable pseudo

MITRE has not published a code example for this CWE. The pattern below is illustrative — see Resources for canonical references.

Vulnerable pseudo 
// Example pattern — see MITRE for the canonical references.
function handleRequest(input) {
  // Untrusted input flows directly into the sensitive sink.
  return executeUnsafe(input);
}
Secure code example

Secure pseudo

Secure pseudo 
// Validate, sanitize, or use a safe API before reaching the sink.
function handleRequest(input) {
  const safe = validateAndEscape(input);
  return executeWithGuards(safe);
}
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-1301

  • Architecture and Design Apply blinding or masking techniques to implementations of cryptographic algorithms.
  • Implementation Alter the method of erasure, add protection of media, or destroy the media to protect the data.
Detection signals

How to detect CWE-1301

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-1301 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-1301?

The product's data removal process fails to completely erase all data from hardware components, potentially leaving sensitive information behind.

How serious is CWE-1301?

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-1301?

MITRE lists the following affected platforms: Not OS-Specific, Not Architecture-Specific, Not Technology-Specific.

How can I prevent CWE-1301?

Apply blinding or masking techniques to implementations of cryptographic algorithms. Alter the method of erasure, add protection of media, or destroy the media to protect the data.

How does Plexicus detect and fix CWE-1301?

Plexicus's SAST engine matches the data-flow signature for CWE-1301 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-1301?

MITRE publishes the canonical definition at https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1301.html. You can also reference OWASP and NIST documentation for adjacent guidance.

Related weaknesses

Weaknesses related to CWE-1301

CWE-226 Parent

Sensitive Information in Resource Not Removed Before Reuse

This vulnerability occurs when a system releases a resource like memory or a file for reuse but fails to erase the sensitive data it…

CWE-1239 Sibling

Improper Zeroization of Hardware Register

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware component fails to properly erase sensitive data from its internal registers before a new user…

CWE-1272 Sibling

Sensitive Information Uncleared Before Debug/Power State Transition

This vulnerability occurs when a device changes its power mode or enters a debug state but fails to wipe sensitive data that should become…

CWE-1342 Sibling

Information Exposure through Microarchitectural State after Transient Execution

This vulnerability occurs when a CPU fails to completely erase temporary data traces left behind by speculative execution or error…

CWE-244 Sibling

Improper Clearing of Heap Memory Before Release ('Heap Inspection')

Using realloc() to resize buffers containing secrets like passwords or keys can leave that sensitive data exposed in memory, as the…

CWE-1330 Child

Remanent Data Readable after Memory Erase

Sensitive data stored in memory hardware can still be accessed or reconstructed even after a standard clear or erase command has been…

Resources

Further reading

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