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-2020-17533 | Chain: unchecked return value (CWE-252) of some functions for policy enforcement leads to authorization bypass (CWE-862) |
CVE-2020-6078 | Chain: 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-2019-15900 | Chain: 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-2007-3798 | Unchecked return value leads to resultant integer overflow and code execution. |
CVE-2006-4447 | Program 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-2006-2916 | Program 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-2008-5183 | chain: unchecked return value can lead to NULL dereference |
CVE-2010-0211 | chain: unchecked return value (CWE-252) leads to free of invalid, uninitialized pointer (CWE-824). |
CVE-2017-6964 | Linux-based device mapper encryption program does not check the return value of setuid and setgid allowing attackers to execute code with unintended privileges. |
CVE-2002-1372 | Chain: 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 |