CWE-1304 Base Draft

Improperly Preserved Integrity of Hardware Configuration State During a Power Save/Restore Operation

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware component saves its configuration state during a power-down operation but fails to protect or verify the integrity of that saved data before restoring it.…

Definition

What is CWE-1304?

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware component saves its configuration state during a power-down operation but fails to protect or verify the integrity of that saved data before restoring it. As a result, an attacker can tamper with the stored settings, leading to a compromised state when the device powers back on.
To optimize boot time, hardware Intellectual Property (IP) often saves its current operational state—like security settings or privilege levels—to persistent storage (e.g., flash memory) before entering a low-power mode. However, if this saved state isn't cryptographically protected or validated, an attacker with access to the storage can alter it. This manipulation could disable security features, escalate privileges, or force the hardware into a damaging configuration. When the device restores from this tampered state after power-up, it blindly loads the corrupted configuration, activating the attacker's changes. This bypasses normal hardware security checks, potentially leading to persistent compromise, system damage, or a complete loss of security controls. The core issue is the lack of integrity checking (like using signatures or checksums) between the save and restore operations.
Real-world impact

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-1304

No public CVE references are linked to this CWE in MITRE's catalog yet.

How attackers exploit it

Step-by-step attacker path

  1. 1

    The following pseudo code demonstrates the power save/restore workflow which may lead to weakness through a lack of validation of the config state after restore.

  2. 2

    The following pseudo-code is the proper workflow for the integrity checking mitigation:

  3. 3

    It must be noted that in the previous example of good pseudo code, the memory (where the hash of the config state is stored) must be trustworthy while the hardware is between the power save and restore states.

Vulnerable code example

Vulnerable C

The following pseudo code demonstrates the power save/restore workflow which may lead to weakness through a lack of validation of the config state after restore.

Vulnerable C 
void save_config_state()
 {

```
   void* cfg;
   cfg = get_config_state();
   save_config_state(cfg);
   go_to_sleep();
 }
 void restore_config_state()
 {
   void* cfg;
   cfg = get_config_file();
   load_config_file(cfg);
 }
Secure code example

Secure C

The following pseudo-code is the proper workflow for the integrity checking mitigation:

Secure C 
void save_config_state()
 {

```
   void* cfg;
   void* sha;
   cfg = get_config_state();
   save_config_state(cfg);
   // save hash(cfg) to trusted location
   sha = get_hash_of_config_state(cfg);
   save_hash(sha); 
   go_to_sleep();
 }
 void restore_config_state()
 {
   void* cfg;
   void* sha_1, sha_2;
   cfg = get_config_file();
   // restore hash of config from trusted memory
   sha_1 = get_persisted_sha_value();
   sha_2 = get_hash_of_config_state(cfg);
   if (sha_1 != sha_2)
  	 assert_error_and_halt();
   load_config_file(cfg);
 }
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-1304

  • Architecture and Design Inside the IP, incorporate integrity checking on the configuration state via a cryptographic hash. The hash can be protected inside the IP such as by storing it in internal registers which never lose power. Before powering down, the IP performs a hash of the configuration and saves it in these persistent registers. Upon restore, the IP performs a hash of the saved configuration and compares it with the saved hash. If they do not match, then the IP should not trust the configuration.
  • Integration Outside the IP, incorporate integrity checking of the configuration state via a trusted agent. Before powering down, the trusted agent performs a hash of the configuration and saves the hash in persistent storage. Upon restore, the IP requests the trusted agent validate its current configuration. If the configuration hash is invalid, then the IP should not trust the configuration.
  • Integration Outside the IP, incorporate a protected environment that prevents undetected modification of the configuration state by untrusted agents. Before powering down, a trusted agent saves the IP's configuration state in this protected location that only it is privileged to. Upon restore, the trusted agent loads the saved state into the IP.
Detection signals

How to detect CWE-1304

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-1304 and opens a fix PR in under 60 seconds.

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Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is CWE-1304?

This vulnerability occurs when a hardware component saves its configuration state during a power-down operation but fails to protect or verify the integrity of that saved data before restoring it. As a result, an attacker can tamper with the stored settings, leading to a compromised state when the device powers back on.

How serious is CWE-1304?

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-1304?

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

How can I prevent CWE-1304?

Inside the IP, incorporate integrity checking on the configuration state via a cryptographic hash. The hash can be protected inside the IP such as by storing it in internal registers which never lose power. Before powering down, the IP performs a hash of the configuration and saves it in these persistent registers. Upon restore, the IP performs a hash of the saved configuration and compares it with the saved hash. If they do not match, then the IP should not trust the configuration. Outside…

How does Plexicus detect and fix CWE-1304?

Plexicus's SAST engine matches the data-flow signature for CWE-1304 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-1304?

MITRE publishes the canonical definition at https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/1304.html. You can also reference OWASP and NIST documentation for adjacent guidance.

Related weaknesses

Weaknesses related to CWE-1304

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Resources

Further reading

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