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.
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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.
Terminology & mappings
Mapped taxonomies
- OWASP Attacks: Setting Manipulation
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about CAPEC-176.
- What is CAPEC-176?
- 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.
- What weaknesses does CAPEC-176 target?
- CAPEC-176 exploits 5 CWE weaknesses, including CWE-15 (External Control of System or Configuration Setting), CWE-1233 (Security-Sensitive Hardware Controls with Missing Lock Bit Protection), CWE-1234 (Hardware Internal or Debug Modes Allow Override of Locks), CWE-1304 (Improperly Preserved Integrity of Hardware Configuration State During a Power Save/Restore Operation).
- How severe is CAPEC-176?
- MITRE rates CAPEC-176 as Medium severity.
References
Attack-pattern data is sourced from the MITRE CAPEC catalog (v3.9). Weakness associations link to the corresponding CWE entries on RadicalNotion.AI.
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