VNX-261 – Weak Encoding for Password

Overview

VNX-261 maps to CWE-261: Weak Encoding for Password. Detects source patterns associated with CWE-261 (Weak Encoding for Password). Each finding should be manually reviewed for exploitability in context.

Severity: High | CWE: CWE-261 | Languages: go, java, node, php, python, ruby

Why This Matters

This weakness class (Weak Encoding for Password) creates a concrete exploit surface: the rule searches for the concrete source-level patterns most commonly associated with CWE-261 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 'base64.encode' pattern
base64.encode

Remediation

  1. Review each flagged line and determine whether the pattern represents a real instance of CWE-261 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-261 comment on the line.
  4. Ensure equivalent test coverage exists to prevent regression.

References