VNX-256 – Plaintext Storage of a Password

Overview

VNX-256 maps to CWE-256: Plaintext Storage of a Password. Detects source patterns associated with CWE-256 (Plaintext Storage of a Password). Each finding should be manually reviewed for exploitability in context.

Severity: High | CWE: CWE-256 | Languages: go, java, node, php, python, ruby

Why This Matters

This weakness class (Plaintext Storage of a Password) creates a concrete exploit surface: the rule searches for the concrete source-level patterns most commonly associated with CWE-256 and surfaces them for review. Each finding should be evaluated in context — the rule catches the pattern, not the context.

What Gets Flagged

// FLAGGED: contains 'password = ' pattern
password =

Remediation

  1. Review each flagged line and determine whether the pattern represents a real instance of CWE-256 or a false positive.
  2. Replace the flagged construct with a documented safe alternative appropriate to your language and framework.
  3. For confirmed false positives, add a # vulnetix-ignore: VNX-256 comment on the line.
  4. Ensure equivalent test coverage exists to prevent regression.

References