Software or Data Integrity Failures hold their place at number eight in OWASP’s Top 10. This risk represents weaknesses in verifying the authenticity and integrity of code, data, and infrastructure relied upon by mission-critical federal systems. Compromised software updates, tampered plugins, or manipulated data artifacts can undermine operations and erode confidence in government technology.
What are Software or Data Integrity Failures?
These failures occur whenever an application or infrastructure component accepts code or data from an untrusted source without checking its validity or authenticity. Vulnerabilities may arise from missing integrity checks on downloaded libraries, unverified software updates, insecure CI/CD pipeline artifacts, or improper data validation. Attackers exploit these weaknesses to introduce malicious features, modify critical logic, or deliver unauthorized updates that impact operational continuity.
Common Examples
- Downloading unsigned or tampered code modules or plugins for use in web applications, without cryptographic verification
- CI/CD pipelines pulling build artifacts from untrusted sources or public repositories, applying them in production environments
- Auto-update functionality that retrieves software updates without verifying signatures, enabling threat actors to distribute malicious patches to all installations
- Insecure deserialization of objects received from external parties, allowing execution of injected or manipulated logic
- Reliance on cookies or session tokens without validation and integrity checking
Federal Impact and Compliance Focus
Integrity failures directly threaten national data, operational security, and reputation. Federal standards such as NIST SP 800-53, CISA advisories, and SBOM mandates increasingly require rigorous integrity protections for all software and data flows. Lapses can result in system subversion, unauthorized code execution, chain-reaction compromise, and regulatory non-compliance.
Key Technical Weaknesses
CWE Reference | Example Flaws |
CWE-829, CWE-830 | Inclusion of Functionality or Web Features from Untrusted Sources |
CWE-565, CWE-784 | Reliance on Cookies without Validation and Integrity Checking |
CWE-494 | Download of Code Without Integrity Check |
CWE-502, CWE-915 | Deserialization of Untrusted Data, improper modification |
CWE-345, CWE-353 | Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity, missing support for integrity check |
Visual: Integrity Failure Attack Patterns
Scenario | Entry Point | Impact |
Unsigned update applied | Auto-update service | Malware deployed agency-wide |
Tampered build artifact used | CI/CD pipeline, public package | System logic modified, backdoors implanted |
Insecure deserialization | APIs, external message brokers | Arbitrary code execution, data manipulation |
Unchecked cookies or tokens | Web apps, client UI | Session hijack, privilege escalation |
Practical Steps for Federal Environments
- Mandate Integrity Verification: Require digital signatures, hashes, or secure cryptography for all software updates, plugins, and downloaded code.
- Secure CI/CD Pipelines: Integrate automated integrity checks so only artifacts from trusted sources are promoted to production. Use SBOMs for tracking dependencies and verifying lineage.
- Harden Auto-update Mechanisms: Configure update workflows to reject unsigned or unverified patches, and alert on any anomalies detected in delivery paths.
- Validate Data Objects: Apply rigorous checks for deserialized data, enforcing type consistency and rejecting malformed or unexpected inputs.
- Monitor and Log Integrity Events: Continuously audit code deployments, data flows, and integration points for integrity violations. Alert teams on any deviations.
- Educate Developers and Integrators: Train staff to recognize supply chain threats, validate sources, and avoid shortcuts that bypass integrity controls.
- Test for Tampering: Regularly simulate integrity failure scenarios, reviewing incident response readiness and recovery plans.
How RavenTek and Partners Help
RavenTek leverages leading tools and integrations for automated integrity verification, secure deployment, and compliance tracking. Our partner ecosystem brings together technical solutions that safeguard software, infrastructure, and data from manipulation or subversion, supporting comprehensive risk reduction and regulatory excellence.
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