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name cwe-284-improper-access-control
description Use this skill when you need to remediate CWE-284 (Improper Access Control) vulnerabilities in Java code. Triggers on SAST findings, security reviews, or when fixing improper access control issues.
version 1.0.0
license MIT
tags
security
java
cwe-284
remediation
sast

CWE-284 Improper Access Control

Description

Improper Access Control

Reference: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/284.html

OWASP Category: A01:2021 – Broken Access Control

Vulnerable Pattern

❌ Example 1: Vulnerable Pattern

// VULNERABLE: No authorization check - IDOR
@GetMapping("/user/{id}/documents")
public List<Document> getUserDocuments(@PathVariable Long id) {
    return documentRepository.findByUserId(id);
}

Why it's vulnerable: This pattern is vulnerable to Improper Access Control

Deterministic Fix

✅ Secure Implementation: Secure Implementation

// SECURE: Verify user can access requested resource
@GetMapping("/user/{id}/documents")
@PreAuthorize("@authService.canAccessUser(#id, authentication)")
public List<Document> getUserDocuments(@PathVariable Long id, Authentication auth) {
    User currentUser = (User) auth.getPrincipal();
    if (!currentUser.getId().equals(id) && !currentUser.hasRole("ADMIN")) {
        throw new AccessDeniedException("Cannot access other user's documents");
    }
    return documentRepository.findByUserId(id);
}

Why it's secure: Implements proper protection against Improper Access Control

Detection Pattern

Look for these patterns in your codebase:

# Find endpoints with path variables
grep -rn "@PathVariable" --include="*Controller.java" | grep -v "PreAuthorize"

Remediation Steps

  1. Verify user is authorized to access each resource

  2. Use indirect object references

  3. Implement row-level security

  4. Log access control failures

Key Imports

import org.springframework.security.access.AccessDeniedException;

import org.springframework.security.core.Authentication;

Verification

After remediation:

  • Run SAST scanner to confirm vulnerability is resolved

  • Review all instances of the vulnerable pattern

  • Add unit tests that verify the secure implementation

  • Check for similar patterns in related code

Trigger Examples

Fix CWE-284 vulnerability
Resolve Improper Access Control issue
Secure this Java code against improper access control
SAST reports CWE-284

Common Vulnerable Locations

Layer Files Patterns

| Controller | *Controller.java | User input handling |

| Service | *Service.java | Business logic |

| Repository | *Repository.java | Data access |

References

Source: Generated by Java CWE Security Skills Generator Last Updated: 2026-03-07