# Cwe 259 Hardcoded Password

> Use this skill when you need to remediate CWE-259 (Hardcoded Password) vulnerabilities in Java code. Triggers on SAST findings, security reviews, or when fixing hardcoded password issues.

- Skill: `developerscoffee/cwe-259-hardcoded-password` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add developerscoffee/cwe-259-hardcoded-password`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/developerscoffee/cwe-259-hardcoded-password/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Security
- License: MIT
- Author: DevelopersCoffee (https://skillmd.com/u/developerscoffee)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/developerscoffee/cwe-259-hardcoded-password

---


# CWE-259 Hardcoded Password

## Description

Hardcoded Password

Reference:
https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/259.html


**OWASP Category**: A07:2021 – Identification and Authentication Failures


---

## Vulnerable Pattern


### ❌ Example 1: Vulnerable Pattern

```java
// VULNERABLE: Hardcoded password in source code
private static final String DB_PASSWORD = "secretPassword123";

Connection conn = DriverManager.getConnection(
    "jdbc:mysql://localhost/db", "admin", "hardcodedPassword");
```


**Why it's vulnerable:** This pattern is vulnerable to Hardcoded Password




---

## Deterministic Fix


### ✅ Secure Implementation: Secure Implementation

```java
// SECURE: Use environment variables or secret manager
private String getDbPassword() {
    // Option 1: Environment variable
    String password = System.getenv("DB_PASSWORD");
    if (password == null) {
        throw new IllegalStateException("DB_PASSWORD not configured");
    }
    return password;
}

// Option 2: Spring @Value with externalized config
@Value("${database.password}")
private String dbPassword;

// Option 3: Secret manager (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager)
@Autowired
private VaultTemplate vaultTemplate;

public String getSecret(String path) {
    VaultResponse response = vaultTemplate.read("secret/data/" + path);
    return (String) response.getData().get("password");
}
```


**Why it's secure:** Implements proper protection against Hardcoded Password




---

## Detection Pattern

Look for these patterns in your codebase:


```bash
# Find hardcoded password patterns
grep -rn "password.*=.*\"" --include="*.java" | grep -v "getParameter"
```


```bash
# Find connection strings with credentials
grep -rn "jdbc:.*:.*@" --include="*.java"
```



---

## Remediation Steps


1. Remove all hardcoded credentials from source code

2. Use environment variables for local development

3. Integrate with secret management systems (Vault, AWS SM)

4. Use Spring's @Value with externalized configuration

5. Rotate credentials after removing from code


---

## Key Imports

```java

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;

import org.springframework.vault.core.VaultTemplate;

```

---

## 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-259 vulnerability
Resolve Hardcoded Password issue
Secure this Java code against hardcoded password
SAST reports CWE-259
```

---

## Common Vulnerable Locations

| Layer | Files | Patterns |
|-------|-------|----------|

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

| Service | `*Service.java` | Business logic |

| Repository | `*Repository.java` | Data access |


---

## References


- [CWE-259: Hardcoded Password](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/259.html)


---

**Source**: Generated by [Java CWE Security Skills Generator](https://github.com/DevelopersCoffee/java-cwe-security-skills)
**Last Updated**: 2026-03-07