The product stores sensitive information without properly limiting read or write access by unauthorized actors.
If read access is not properly restricted, then attackers can steal the sensitive information. If write access is not properly restricted, then attackers can modify and possibly delete the data, causing incorrect results and possibly a denial of service.

Primary

Architecture and Design
OMISSION: This weakness is caused by missing a security tactic during the architecture and design phase.

Implementation

System Configuration

Confidentiality
Read Application Data
Read Files or Directories
Attackers can read sensitive information by accessing the unrestricted storage mechanism.

Integrity
Modify Application Data
Modify Files or Directories
Attackers can overwrite sensitive information by accessing the unrestricted storage mechanism.

Automated Static Analysis
Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)
High

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.
At least one OT product stored a password in plaintext.

CVE-2009-2272
password and username stored in cleartext in a cookie
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-2272

Allowed-with-Review
This CWE entry is a Class and might have Base-level children that would be more appropriate
Examine children of this entry to see if there is a better fit

There is an overlapping relationship between insecure storage of sensitive information (CWE-922) and missing encryption of sensitive information (CWE-311). Encryption is often used to prevent an attacker from reading the sensitive data. However, encryption does not prevent the attacker from erasing or overwriting the data. While data tampering would be visible upon inspection, the integrity and availability of the data is compromised prior to the audit.
This is a high-level entry that includes children from various parts of the CWE research view (CWE-1000). Currently, most of the information is in these child entries. This entry will be made more comprehensive in later CWE versions.

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2013-06-23
2.5
2013-07-17

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2017-11-08
updated Modes_of_Introduction, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2019-06-20
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2020-02-24
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2021-03-15
updated Maintenance_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2021-10-28
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2022-10-13
updated Common_Consequences, Relationship_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-01-31
updated Description

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-04-27
updated Detection_Factors, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-06-29
updated Mapping_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-10-26
updated Observed_Examples

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

Mathias Millet
GitGuardian
2022-07-08
Suggested changes to Common Consequences and Relationship Notes.