Password Reset and Change Flaws

What Is Broken and Why

Password reset and change workflows are high-value attack targets because they operate partially outside a user's active session. Flaws arise when reset tokens are predictable, when the workflow can be manipulated to affect other users' accounts, when CSRF protections are absent, or when password changes do not require verification of the current credential. Additionally, displaying the old password during a reset reveals that it is stored in recoverable form (plaintext or reversible encryption), indicating fundamentally broken credential storage.

Key Signals