CWE-832 Detail

CWE-832

Unlock of a Resource that is not Locked
Incomplete
2010-12-13
00h00 +00:00
2025-12-11
00h00 +00:00
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Name: Unlock of a Resource that is not Locked

The product attempts to unlock a resource that is not locked.

CWE Description

Depending on the locking functionality, an unlock of a non-locked resource might cause memory corruption or other modification to the resource (or its associated metadata that is used for tracking locks).

General Informations

Modes Of Introduction

Implementation

Applicable Platforms

Language

Class: Not Language-Specific (Undetermined)

Common Consequences

Scope Impact Likelihood
Integrity
Confidentiality
Availability
Other		DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart, Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands, Modify Memory, Other

Note: Depending on the locking being used, an unlock operation might not have any adverse effects. When effects exist, the most common consequence will be a corruption of the state of the product, possibly leading to a crash or exit; depending on the implementation of the unlocking, memory corruption or code execution could occur.

Observed Examples

References Description

CVE-2010-4210

function in OS kernel unlocks a mutex that was not previously locked, causing a panic or overwrite of arbitrary memory.

CVE-2008-4302

Chain: OS kernel does not properly handle a failure of a function call (CWE-755), leading to an unlock of a resource that was not locked (CWE-832), with resultant crash.

CVE-2009-1243

OS kernel performs an unlock in some incorrect circumstances, leading to panic.

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.

Submission

Name Organization Date Date release Version
CWE Content Team MITRE 2010-12-12 +00:00 2010-12-13 +00:00 1.11

Modifications

Name Organization Date Comment
CWE Content Team MITRE 2011-06-01 +00:00 updated Common_Consequences
CWE Content Team MITRE 2020-02-24 +00:00 updated Relationships
CWE Content Team MITRE 2023-01-31 +00:00 updated Common_Consequences, 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, Detection_Factors, Time_of_Introduction, Weakness_Ordinalities
The information presented on CVE Find originates from several carefully selected reference sources. CVE data is provided by MITRE Corporation and the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). The Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog is sourced from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), while EPSS scores come from FIRST.org. Additionally, data regarding software weaknesses (CWE) and common attack patterns (CAPEC) is maintained by MITRE Corporation, and information on hardware and software configurations (CPE) is provided by the NVD.