The product uses default passwords for potentially critical functionality.

It is common practice for products to be designed to use
default passwords for authentication. The rationale is to
simplify the manufacturing process or the system
administrator's task of installation and deployment into an
enterprise. However, if admins do not change the defaults,
then it makes it easier for attackers to quickly bypass
authentication across multiple organizations. There are many
lists of default passwords and default-password scanning tools
that are easily available from the World Wide Web.

Primary

Architecture and Design

Authentication
Gain Privileges or Assume Identity

Requirements
Prohibit use of default, hard-coded, or other values that do not vary for each installation of the product - especially for separate organizations.
High

Documentation
Ensure that product documentation clearly emphasizes the presence of default passwords and provides steps for the administrator to change them.
Limited

Architecture and Design
Force the administrator to change the credential upon installation.
High

Installation
Operation
The product administrator could change the defaults upon installation or during operation.
Moderate

In 2022, the OT:ICEFALL study examined products by 10 different Operational Technology (OT) vendors. The researchers reported 56 vulnerabilities and said that the products were "insecure by design" [REF-1283]. If exploited, these vulnerabilities often allowed adversaries to change how the products operated, ranging from denial of service to changing the code that the products executed. Since these products were often used in industries such as power, electrical, water, and others, there could even be safety implications.
Multiple OT products used default credentials.

CVE-2022-30270
Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) uses default credentials for some SSH accounts
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-30270

CVE-2022-2336
OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) industrial automation product has a default password
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-2336

CVE-2021-38759
microcontroller board has default password, allowing admin access
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-38759

CVE-2021-44480
children's smart watch has default passwords allowing attackers to send SMS commands and listen to the device's surroundings
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-44480

CVE-2020-11624
surveillance camera has default password for the admin account
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-11624

CVE-2018-15719
medical dental records product installs a MySQL database with a blank default password
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-15719

CVE-2014-9736
healthcare system for archiving patient images has default passwords for key management and storage databases
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-9736

CVE-2000-1209
database product installs admin account with default null password, allowing privileges, as exploited by various worms
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2000-1209

Allowed
This CWE entry is at the Base level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.
Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2022-10-07
4.9
2022-10-13

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-01-31
updated Applicable_Platforms, Demonstrative_Examples, Observed_Examples, References, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-04-27
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-06-29
updated Mapping_Notes, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2024-07-16
4.15
2024-07-16
updated References

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-09-09
4.18
2025-09-09
updated References

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-12-11
4.19
2025-12-11
updated Observed_Examples, References, Relationships, Weakness_Ordinalities