Meta attack pattern
Draft
CAPEC-176: Configuration/Environment Manipulation
An attacker manipulates files or settings external to a target application which affect the behavior of that application. For example, many applications use external configuration files and libraries - modification of these entities or otherwise affecting the application's ability to use them would constitute a configuration/environment manipulation attack.
Last updated
Medium
Typical severity
Per MITRE
Not rated
Likelihood of attack
Per MITRE
5
Related weaknesses
CWEs this targets
Meta
Abstraction
MITRE classification
Overview
CAPEC-176 (Configuration/Environment Manipulation) is a meta-level attack pattern catalogued by MITRE in the Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC). It describes a recurring method attackers use to exploit software weaknesses.
What the attacker needs
Prerequisites
- The target application must consult external files or configuration controls to control its execution. All but the very simplest applications meet this requirement.
Resources required
- The attacker must have the access necessary to affect the files or other environment items the targeted application uses for its operations.