Common Weakness Enumeration

    CWE Definition / CWE-656

    CWE-656: Reliance on Security Through Obscurity

    The product uses a protection mechanism whose strength depends heavily on its obscurity, such that knowledge of its algorithms or key data is sufficient to defeat the mechanism.

    Published:18 Jan 2008
    Organization:MITRE
    Modified:11 Dec 2025

    Related Weakness

    CWE-657: Violation of Secure Design Principles

    CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure

    CWE-259: Use of Hard-coded Password

    CWE-321: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key

    CWE-472: External Control of Assumed-Immutable Web Parameter