Software and Data Integrity Failures

Software and Data Integrity Failures occur when applications do not properly verify the integrity of software updates, critical data, or dependencies, allowing attackers to inject malicious code, tamper with sensitive data, or exploit untrusted sources. This can lead to remote code execution (RCE), data corruption, supply chain attacks, and unauthorized modifications to application behavior.

Common Vulnerabilities:

• Lack of Digital Signatures or Hash Validation for Software Updates
• Use of Untrusted or Compromised Third-Party Libraries, Plugins, or Packages
• Tampering with Configuration Files, Logs, or Critical System Data
• Unsecured Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) Pipelines
• Malicious Dependency Injection (Supply Chain Attacks)
• Failure to Enforce Integrity Controls for Data Stored in Databases or Caches

To mitigate these risks, applications should use cryptographic signatures to verify software integrity, restrict third-party dependencies to trusted sources, implement secure CI/CD pipelines, and protect critical data from unauthorized modifications using hashing, access controls, and tamper-detection mechanisms. Regular audits and dependency monitoring can further reduce the risk of software and data integrity failures.