CWE-252 Detail

CWE-252

Unchecked Return Value
LOW
Draft
2006-07-19 00:00 +00:00
2023-10-26 00:00 +00:00

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Unchecked Return Value

The product does not check the return value from a method or function, which can prevent it from detecting unexpected states and conditions.

Extended Description

Two common programmer assumptions are "this function call can never fail" and "it doesn't matter if this function call fails". If an attacker can force the function to fail or otherwise return a value that is not expected, then the subsequent program logic could lead to a vulnerability, because the product is not in a state that the programmer assumes. For example, if the program calls a function to drop privileges but does not check the return code to ensure that privileges were successfully dropped, then the program will continue to operate with the higher privileges.

Informations

Background Details

Many functions will return some value about the success of their actions. This will alert the program whether or not to handle any errors caused by that function.

Modes Of Introduction

Implementation

Applicable Platforms

Language

Class: Not Language-Specific (Undetermined)

Common Consequences

Scope Impact Likelihood
Availability
Integrity
Unexpected State, DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart

Note: An unexpected return value could place the system in a state that could lead to a crash or other unintended behaviors.

Observed Examples

Reference Description
CVE-2020-17533Chain: unchecked return value (CWE-252) of some functions for policy enforcement leads to authorization bypass (CWE-862)
CVE-2020-6078Chain: The return value of a function returning a pointer is not checked for success (CWE-252) resulting in the later use of an uninitialized variable (CWE-456) and a null pointer dereference (CWE-476)
CVE-2019-15900Chain: sscanf() call is used to check if a username and group exists, but the return value of sscanf() call is not checked (CWE-252), causing an uninitialized variable to be checked (CWE-457), returning success to allow authorization bypass for executing a privileged (CWE-863).
CVE-2007-3798Unchecked return value leads to resultant integer overflow and code execution.
CVE-2006-4447Program does not check return value when invoking functions to drop privileges, which could leave users with higher privileges than expected by forcing those functions to fail.
CVE-2006-2916Program does not check return value when invoking functions to drop privileges, which could leave users with higher privileges than expected by forcing those functions to fail.
CVE-2008-5183chain: unchecked return value can lead to NULL dereference
CVE-2010-0211chain: unchecked return value (CWE-252) leads to free of invalid, uninitialized pointer (CWE-824).
CVE-2017-6964Linux-based device mapper encryption program does not check the return value of setuid and setgid allowing attackers to execute code with unintended privileges.
CVE-2002-1372Chain: Return values of file/socket operations are not checked (CWE-252), allowing resultant consumption of file descriptors (CWE-772).

Potential Mitigations

Phases : Implementation
Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is expected.
Phases : Implementation
Ensure that you account for all possible return values from the function.
Phases : Implementation
When designing a function, make sure you return a value or throw an exception in case of an error.

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

Rationale : 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.
Comments : 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-6

Seven Pernicious Kingdoms: A Taxonomy of Software Security Errors
Katrina Tsipenyuk, Brian Chess, Gary McGraw.
https://samate.nist.gov/SSATTM_Content/papers/Seven%20Pernicious%20Kingdoms%20-%20Taxonomy%20of%20Sw%20Security%20Errors%20-%20Tsipenyuk%20-%20Chess%20-%20McGraw.pdf

REF-62

The Art of Software Security Assessment
Mark Dowd, John McDonald, Justin Schuh.

REF-7

Writing Secure Code
Michael Howard, David LeBlanc.
https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/store/writing-secure-code-9780735617223

REF-44

24 Deadly Sins of Software Security
Michael Howard, David LeBlanc, John Viega.

REF-961

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

REF-961

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

REF-962

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

Submission

Name Organization Date Date Release Version
7 Pernicious Kingdoms 2006-07-19 +00:00 2006-07-19 +00:00 Draft 3

Modifications

Name Organization Date Comment
CWE Content Team MITRE 2008-09-08 +00:00 updated Common_Consequences, Relationships, Other_Notes, Taxonomy_Mappings
CWE Content Team MITRE 2008-11-24 +00:00 updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-01-12 +00:00 updated Background_Details, Demonstrative_Examples, Description, Observed_Examples, Other_Notes, Potential_Mitigations
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-03-10 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-05-27 +00:00 updated Demonstrative_Examples
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-07-27 +00:00 updated Demonstrative_Examples
CWE Content Team MITRE 2009-12-28 +00:00 updated Common_Consequences, Demonstrative_Examples, References
CWE Content Team MITRE 2010-02-16 +00:00 updated Demonstrative_Examples, Potential_Mitigations, References
CWE Content Team MITRE 2010-04-05 +00:00 updated Demonstrative_Examples
CWE Content Team MITRE 2010-06-21 +00:00 updated Demonstrative_Examples, References
CWE Content Team MITRE 2010-09-27 +00:00 updated Observed_Examples
CWE Content Team MITRE 2010-12-13 +00:00 updated Demonstrative_Examples
CWE Content Team MITRE 2011-06-01 +00:00 updated Common_Consequences, Demonstrative_Examples, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
CWE Content Team MITRE 2011-06-27 +00:00 updated Common_Consequences
CWE Content Team MITRE 2011-09-13 +00:00 updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
CWE Content Team MITRE 2012-05-11 +00:00 updated Common_Consequences, References, Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2014-06-23 +00:00 updated Demonstrative_Examples, Potential_Mitigations
CWE Content Team MITRE 2014-07-30 +00:00 updated Demonstrative_Examples, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
CWE Content Team MITRE 2017-11-08 +00:00 updated Applicable_Platforms, References, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
CWE Content Team MITRE 2018-03-27 +00:00 updated References
CWE Content Team MITRE 2019-01-03 +00:00 updated References, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
CWE Content Team MITRE 2019-06-20 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2020-02-24 +00:00 updated References
CWE Content Team MITRE 2020-06-25 +00:00 updated Observed_Examples
CWE Content Team MITRE 2020-08-20 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2021-03-15 +00:00 updated Demonstrative_Examples, Observed_Examples, Relationships, Weakness_Ordinalities
CWE Content Team MITRE 2021-07-20 +00:00 updated Observed_Examples
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-01-31 +00:00 updated Description
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-04-27 +00:00 updated Detection_Factors, Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-06-29 +00:00 updated Mapping_Notes, Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-10-26 +00:00 updated Observed_Examples