327 (Weakness Base)

Medium to High

Confidentiality: The confidentiality of sensitive data may be compromised by the use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm.

Integrity: The integrity of sensitive data may be compromised by the use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm.

Accountability: Any accountability to message content preserved by cryptography may be subject to attack.

Design: Use a cryptographic algorithm that is currently considered to be strong by experts in the field. You should choose a tested and widely used implementation. As with all cryptographic mechanisms, the source code should be available for analysis.

C/C++ Example:

Java Example:

Cryptographic algorithms are the methods by which data is scrambled. There are a small number of well understood and heavily studied algorithms that should be used by most applications. It is quite difficult to produce a secure algorithm, and even high profile algorithms by accomplished cryptographic experts have been broken. The use of a non-standard algorithm is dangerous because a determined attacker may be able to break the algorithm and compromise whatever data has been protected.

Since the state of cryptography advances so rapidly, it is common to find algorithms, which previously were considered to be safe, currently considered unsafe. In some cases, things are discovered, or processing speed increases to the degree that the cryptographic algorithm provides little more benefit than the use of no cryptography at all.

CLASP - Using a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm

All

Architecture and Design