CWE-1079 Detail

CWE-1079

Parent Class without Virtual Destructor Method
Incomplete
2019-01-03
00h00 +00:00
2025-12-11
00h00 +00:00
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Name: Parent Class without Virtual Destructor Method

A parent class contains one or more child classes, but the parent class does not have a virtual destructor method.

General Informations

Modes Of Introduction

Implementation

Applicable Platforms

Language

Class: Not Language-Specific (Undetermined)

Common Consequences

Scope Impact Likelihood
OtherReduce Reliability

Note: This issue can prevent the product from running reliably due to undefined or unexpected behaviors. If the relevant code is reachable by an attacker, then this reliability problem might introduce a vulnerability.

Detection Methods

Automated Static Analysis

Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)
Effectiveness : High

Vulnerability Mapping Notes

Justification : This CWE entry is at the Base level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.
Comment : Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.

References

REF-961

Automated Source Code Reliability Measure (ASCRM)
Object Management Group (OMG).
http://www.omg.org/spec/ASCRM/1.0/

Submission

Name Organization Date Date release Version
CWE Content Team MITRE 2018-07-02 +00:00 2019-01-03 +00:00 3.2

Modifications

Name Organization Date Comment
CWE Content Team MITRE 2020-02-24 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2020-08-20 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-01-31 +00:00 updated Description
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-04-27 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-06-29 +00:00 updated Mapping_Notes
CWE Content Team MITRE 2025-12-11 +00:00 updated Applicable_Platforms, Common_Consequences, Description, Detection_Factors, Time_of_Introduction