CWE - CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer (4.19.1)
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    CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

    Weakness ID: 119
    Vulnerability Mapping: DISCOURAGED This CWE ID should not be used to map to real-world vulnerabilities
    Abstraction: Class Class - a weakness that is described in a very abstract fashion, typically independent of any specific language or technology. More specific than a Pillar Weakness, but more general than a Base Weakness. Class level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 1 or 2 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, and resource.
    View customized information:
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    + Description
    The product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it reads from or writes to a memory location outside the buffer's intended boundary. This may result in read or write operations on unexpected memory locations that could be linked to other variables, data structures, or internal program data. Diagram for CWE-119
    + Alternate Terms
    Buffer Overflow
    This term has many different meanings to different audiences. From a CWE mapping perspective, this term should be avoided where possible. Some researchers, developers, and tools intend for it to mean "write past the end of a buffer," whereas others use the same term to mean "any read or write outside the boundaries of a buffer, whether before the beginning of the buffer or after the end of the buffer." Others could mean "any action after the end of a buffer, whether it is a read or write." Since the term is commonly used for exploitation and for vulnerabilities, it further confuses things.
    buffer overrun
    Some prominent vendors and researchers use the term "buffer overrun," but most people use "buffer overflow." See the alternate term for "buffer overflow" for context.
    memory safety
    Generally used for techniques that avoid weaknesses related to memory access, such as those identified by CWE-119 and its descendants. However, the term is not formal, and there is likely disagreement between practitioners as to which weaknesses are implicitly covered by the "memory safety" term.
    + Common Consequences
    Section HelpThis table specifies different individual consequences associated with the weakness. The Scope identifies the application security area that is violated, while the Impact describes the negative technical impact that arises if an adversary succeeds in exploiting this weakness. The Likelihood provides information about how likely the specific consequence is expected to be seen relative to the other consequences in the list. For example, there may be high likelihood that a weakness will be exploited to achieve a certain impact, but a low likelihood that it will be exploited to achieve a different impact.
    Impact Details

    Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Modify Memory

    		Scope: Integrity, Confidentiality, Availability

    If the memory accessible by the attacker can be effectively controlled, it may be possible to execute arbitrary code, as with a standard buffer overflow. If the attacker can overwrite a pointer's worth of memory (usually 32 or 64 bits), they can alter the intended control flow by redirecting a function pointer to their own malicious code. Even when the attacker can only modify a single byte arbitrary code execution can be possible. Sometimes this is because the same problem can be exploited repeatedly to the same effect. Other times it is because the attacker can overwrite security-critical application-specific data -- such as a flag indicating whether the user is an administrator.

    Read Memory; DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart; DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)

    		Scope: Availability, Confidentiality

    Out of bounds memory access will very likely result in the corruption of relevant memory, and perhaps instructions, possibly leading to a crash. Other attacks leading to lack of availability are possible, including putting the program into an infinite loop.

    Read Memory

    		Scope: Confidentiality

    In the case of an out-of-bounds read, the attacker may have access to sensitive information. If the sensitive information contains system details, such as the current buffer's position in memory, this knowledge can be used to craft further attacks, possibly with more severe consequences.
    + Potential Mitigations
    Phase(s) Mitigation

    Requirements

    Strategy: Language Selection

    Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.

    For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer.

    Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.

    Architecture and Design

    Strategy: Libraries or Frameworks

    Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.

    Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega [REF-57], and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft [REF-56]. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.

    Note: This is not a complete solution, since many buffer overflows are not related to strings.

    Operation; Build and Compilation

    Strategy: Environment Hardening

    Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking.

    D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND [REF-1334] discusses canary-based detection in detail.

    Effectiveness: Defense in Depth

    Note:

    This is not necessarily a complete solution, since these mechanisms only detect certain types of overflows. In addition, the result is still a denial of service, since the typical response is to exit the application.

    Implementation

    Consider adhering to the following rules when allocating and managing an application's memory:

    • Double check that the buffer is as large as specified.
    • When using functions that accept a number of bytes to copy, such as strncpy(), be aware that if the destination buffer size is equal to the source buffer size, it may not NULL-terminate the string.
    • Check buffer boundaries if accessing the buffer in a loop and make sure there is no danger of writing past the allocated space.
    • If necessary, truncate all input strings to a reasonable length before passing them to the copy and concatenation functions.

    Operation; Build and Compilation

    Strategy: Environment Hardening

    Run or compile the software using features or extensions that randomly arrange the positions of a program's executable and libraries in memory. Because this makes the addresses unpredictable, it can prevent an attacker from reliably jumping to exploitable code.

    Examples include Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) [REF-58] [REF-60] and Position-Independent Executables (PIE) [REF-64]. Imported modules may be similarly realigned if their default memory addresses conflict with other modules, in a process known as "rebasing" (for Windows) and "prelinking" (for Linux) [REF-1332] using randomly generated addresses. ASLR for libraries cannot be used in conjunction with prelink since it would require relocating the libraries at run-time, defeating the whole purpose of prelinking.

    For more information on these techniques see D3-SAOR (Segment Address Offset Randomization) from D3FEND [REF-1335].

    Effectiveness: Defense in Depth

    Note: These techniques do not provide a complete solution. For instance, exploits frequently use a bug that discloses memory addresses in order to maximize reliability of code execution [REF-1337]. It has also been shown that a side-channel attack can bypass ASLR [REF-1333].

    Operation

    Strategy: Environment Hardening

    Use a CPU and operating system that offers Data Execution Protection (using hardware NX or XD bits) or the equivalent techniques that simulate this feature in software, such as PaX [REF-60] [REF-61]. These techniques ensure that any instruction executed is exclusively at a memory address that is part of the code segment.

    For more information on these techniques see D3-PSEP (Process Segment Execution Prevention) from D3FEND [REF-1336].

    Effectiveness: Defense in Depth

    Note: This is not a complete solution, since buffer overflows could be used to overwrite nearby variables to modify the software's state in dangerous ways. In addition, it cannot be used in cases in which self-modifying code is required. Finally, an attack could still cause a denial of service, since the typical response is to exit the application.

    Implementation
    Replace unbounded copy functions with analogous functions that support length arguments, such as strcpy with strncpy. Create these if they are not available.

    Effectiveness: Moderate

    Note: This approach is still susceptible to calculation errors, including issues such as off-by-one errors (CWE-193) and incorrectly calculating buffer lengths (CWE-131).
    + Relationships
    Section Help This table shows the weaknesses and high level categories that are related to this weakness. These relationships are defined as ChildOf, ParentOf, MemberOf and give insight to similar items that may exist at higher and lower levels of abstraction. In addition, relationships such as PeerOf and CanAlsoBe are defined to show similar weaknesses that the user may want to explore.
    + Relevant to the view "Research Concepts" (View-1000)
    Nature Type ID Name
    ChildOf Class Class - a weakness that is described in a very abstract fashion, typically independent of any specific language or technology. More specific than a Pillar Weakness, but more general than a Base Weakness. Class level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 1 or 2 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, and resource. 118 Incorrect Access of Indexable Resource ('Range Error')
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 125 Out-of-bounds Read
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 466 Return of Pointer Value Outside of Expected Range
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 786 Access of Memory Location Before Start of Buffer
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 787 Out-of-bounds Write
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 788 Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 805 Buffer Access with Incorrect Length Value
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 822 Untrusted Pointer Dereference
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 823 Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 824 Access of Uninitialized Pointer
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 825 Expired Pointer Dereference
    CanFollow Class Class - a weakness that is described in a very abstract fashion, typically independent of any specific language or technology. More specific than a Pillar Weakness, but more general than a Base Weakness. Class level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 1 or 2 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, and resource. 20 Improper Input Validation
    CanFollow Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 128 Wrap-around Error
    CanFollow Variant Variant - a weakness that is linked to a certain type of product, typically involving a specific language or technology. More specific than a Base weakness. Variant level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 3 to 5 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 129 Improper Validation of Array Index
    CanFollow Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 131 Incorrect Calculation of Buffer Size
    CanFollow Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 190 Integer Overflow or Wraparound
    CanFollow Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 193 Off-by-one Error
    CanFollow Variant Variant - a weakness that is linked to a certain type of product, typically involving a specific language or technology. More specific than a Base weakness. Variant level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 3 to 5 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 195 Signed to Unsigned Conversion Error
    CanFollow Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 839 Numeric Range Comparison Without Minimum Check
    CanFollow Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 843 Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')
    CanFollow Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 1257 Improper Access Control Applied to Mirrored or Aliased Memory Regions
    CanFollow Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 1260 Improper Handling of Overlap Between Protected Memory Ranges
    CanFollow Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 1339 Insufficient Precision or Accuracy of a Real Number
    + Relevant to the view "Weaknesses for Simplified Mapping of Published Vulnerabilities" (View-1003)
    Nature Type ID Name
    MemberOf View View - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). 1003 Weaknesses for Simplified Mapping of Published Vulnerabilities
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 120 Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input ('Classic Buffer Overflow')
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 125 Out-of-bounds Read
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 787 Out-of-bounds Write
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 824 Access of Uninitialized Pointer
    + Relevant to the view "CISQ Quality Measures (2020)" (View-1305)
    Nature Type ID Name
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 125 Out-of-bounds Read
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 130 Improper Handling of Length Parameter Inconsistency
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 786 Access of Memory Location Before Start of Buffer
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 787 Out-of-bounds Write
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 788 Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 805 Buffer Access with Incorrect Length Value
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 822 Untrusted Pointer Dereference
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 823 Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 824 Access of Uninitialized Pointer
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 825 Expired Pointer Dereference
    + Relevant to the view "CISQ Data Protection Measures" (View-1340)
    Nature Type ID Name
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 123 Write-what-where Condition
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 125 Out-of-bounds Read
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 130 Improper Handling of Length Parameter Inconsistency
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 786 Access of Memory Location Before Start of Buffer
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 787 Out-of-bounds Write
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 788 Access of Memory Location After End of Buffer
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 805 Buffer Access with Incorrect Length Value
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 822 Untrusted Pointer Dereference
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 823 Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 824 Access of Uninitialized Pointer
    ParentOf Base Base - a weakness that is still mostly independent of a resource or technology, but with sufficient details to provide specific methods for detection and prevention. Base level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 2 or 3 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, technology, language, and resource. 825 Expired Pointer Dereference
    + Relevant to the view "Seven Pernicious Kingdoms" (View-700)
    Nature Type ID Name
    ChildOf Class Class - a weakness that is described in a very abstract fashion, typically independent of any specific language or technology. More specific than a Pillar Weakness, but more general than a Base Weakness. Class level weaknesses typically describe issues in terms of 1 or 2 of the following dimensions: behavior, property, and resource. 20 Improper Input Validation
    + Background Details
    Certain languages allow direct addressing of memory locations and do not automatically ensure that these locations are valid for the memory buffer that is being referenced.
    + Modes Of Introduction
    Section HelpThe different Modes of Introduction provide information about how and when this weakness may be introduced. The Phase identifies a point in the life cycle at which introduction may occur, while the Note provides a typical scenario related to introduction during the given phase.
    Phase Note
    Implementation
    + Applicable Platforms
    Section HelpThis listing shows possible areas for which the given weakness could appear. These may be for specific named Languages, Operating Systems, Architectures, Paradigms, Technologies, or a class of such platforms. The platform is listed along with how frequently the given weakness appears for that instance.
    Languages

    Class: Memory-Unsafe (Often Prevalent)

    C (Often Prevalent)

    C++ (Often Prevalent)

    Class: Assembly (Undetermined Prevalence)

    Technologies

    Class: Not Technology-Specific (Undetermined Prevalence)

    + Likelihood Of Exploit
    High
    + Demonstrative Examples

    Example 1


    This example takes an IP address from a user, verifies that it is well formed and then looks up the hostname and copies it into a buffer.

    (bad code)
    Example Language: C 
    void host_lookup(char *user_supplied_addr){
    struct hostent *hp;
    in_addr_t *addr;
    char hostname[64];
    in_addr_t inet_addr(const char *cp);

    /*routine that ensures user_supplied_addr is in the right format for conversion */

    validate_addr_form(user_supplied_addr);
    addr = inet_addr(user_supplied_addr);
    hp = gethostbyaddr( addr, sizeof(struct in_addr), AF_INET);
    strcpy(hostname, hp->h_name);
    }

    This function allocates a buffer of 64 bytes to store the hostname, however there is no guarantee that the hostname will not be larger than 64 bytes. If an attacker specifies an address which resolves to a very large hostname, then the function may overwrite sensitive data or even relinquish control flow to the attacker.

    Note that this example also contains an unchecked return value (CWE-252) that can lead to a NULL pointer dereference (CWE-476).



    Example 2


    This example applies an encoding procedure to an input string and stores it into a buffer.

    (bad code)
    Example Language: C 
    char * copy_input(char *user_supplied_string){
    int i, dst_index;
    char *dst_buf = (char*)malloc(4*sizeof(char) * MAX_SIZE);
    if ( MAX_SIZE <= strlen(user_supplied_string) ){
    die("user string too long, die evil hacker!");
    }
    dst_index = 0;
    for ( i = 0; i < strlen(user_supplied_string); i++ ){
    if( '&' == user_supplied_string[i] ){
    dst_buf[dst_index++] = '&';
    dst_buf[dst_index++] = 'a';
    dst_buf[dst_index++] = 'm';
    dst_buf[dst_index++] = 'p';
    dst_buf[dst_index++] = ';';
    }
    else if ('<' == user_supplied_string[i] ){
    /* encode to &lt; */
    }
    else dst_buf[dst_index++] = user_supplied_string[i];
    }
    return dst_buf;
    }

    The programmer attempts to encode the ampersand character in the user-controlled string, however the length of the string is validated before the encoding procedure is applied. Furthermore, the programmer assumes encoding expansion will only expand a given character by a factor of 4, while the encoding of the ampersand expands by 5. As a result, when the encoding procedure expands the string it is possible to overflow the destination buffer if the attacker provides a string of many ampersands.



    Example 3


    The following example asks a user for an offset into an array to select an item.

    (bad code)
    Example Language: C 

    int main (int argc, char **argv) {
    char *items[] = {"boat", "car", "truck", "train"};
    int index = GetUntrustedOffset();
    printf("You selected %s\n", items[index-1]);
    }

    The programmer allows the user to specify which element in the list to select, however an attacker can provide an out-of-bounds offset, resulting in a buffer over-read (CWE-126).



    Example 4


    In the following code, the method retrieves a value from an array at a specific array index location that is given as an input parameter to the method

    (bad code)
    Example Language: C 
    int getValueFromArray(int *array, int len, int index) {

    int value;

    // check that the array index is less than the maximum

    // length of the array
    if (index < len) {
    // get the value at the specified index of the array
    value = array[index];
    }
    // if array index is invalid then output error message
    // and return value indicating error
    else {
    printf("Value is: %d\n", array[index]);
    value = -1;
    }

    return value;
    }

    However, this method only verifies that the given array index is less than the maximum length of the array but does not check for the minimum value (CWE-839). This will allow a negative value to be accepted as the input array index, which will result in reading data before the beginning of the buffer (CWE-127) and may allow access to sensitive memory. The input array index should be checked to verify that is within the maximum and minimum range required for the array (CWE-129). In this example the if statement should be modified to include a minimum range check, as shown below.

    (good code)
    Example Language: C 

    ...

    // check that the array index is within the correct

    // range of values for the array
    if (index >= 0 && index < len) {

    ...


    Example 5


    Windows provides the _mbs family of functions to perform various operations on multibyte strings. When these functions are passed a malformed multibyte string, such as a string containing a valid leading byte followed by a single null byte, they can read or write past the end of the string buffer causing a buffer overflow. The following functions all pose a risk of buffer overflow: _mbsinc _mbsdec _mbsncat _mbsncpy _mbsnextc _mbsnset _mbsrev _mbsset _mbsstr _mbstok _mbccpy _mbslen



    + Selected Observed Examples

    Note: this is a curated list of examples for users to understand the variety of ways in which this weakness can be introduced. It is not a complete list of all CVEs that are related to this CWE entry.

    Reference Description
    Incorrect URI normalization in application traffic product leads to buffer overflow, as exploited in the wild per CISA KEV.
    Buffer overflow in Wi-Fi router web interface, as exploited in the wild per CISA KEV.
    Classic stack-based buffer overflow in media player using a long entry in a playlist
    Heap-based buffer overflow in media player using a long entry in a playlist
    large precision value in a format string triggers overflow
    negative offset value leads to out-of-bounds read
    malformed inputs cause accesses of uninitialized or previously-deleted objects, leading to memory corruption
    chain: lack of synchronization leads to memory corruption
    Chain: machine-learning product can have a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122) when some integer-oriented bounds are calculated by using ceiling() and floor() on floating point values (CWE-1339)
    attacker-controlled array index leads to code execution
    chain: -1 value from a function call was intended to indicate an error, but is used as an array index instead.
    chain: incorrect calculations lead to incorrect pointer dereference and memory corruption
    product accepts crafted messages that lead to a dereference of an arbitrary pointer
    chain: malformed input causes dereference of uninitialized memory
    OS kernel trusts userland-supplied length value, allowing reading of sensitive information
    Chain: integer overflow in securely-coded mail program leads to buffer overflow. In 2005, this was regarded as unrealistic to exploit, but in 2020, it was rediscovered to be easier to exploit due to evolutions of the technology.
    buffer overflow involving a regular expression with a large number of captures
    chain: unchecked message size metadata allows integer overflow (CWE-190) leading to buffer overflow (CWE-119).
    + Weakness Ordinalities
    Ordinality Description
    Primary
    (where the weakness exists independent of other weaknesses)
    Resultant
    (where the weakness is typically related to the presence of some other weaknesses)
    + Detection Methods
    Method Details

    Automated Static Analysis

    This weakness can often be detected using automated static analysis tools. Many modern tools use data flow analysis or constraint-based techniques to minimize the number of false positives.

    Automated static analysis generally does not account for environmental considerations when reporting out-of-bounds memory operations. This can make it difficult for users to determine which warnings should be investigated first. For example, an analysis tool might report buffer overflows that originate from command line arguments in a program that is not expected to run with setuid or other special privileges.

    Effectiveness: High

    Note:Detection techniques for buffer-related errors are more mature than for most other weakness types.

    Automated Dynamic Analysis
    This weakness can be detected using dynamic tools and techniques that interact with the software using large test suites with many diverse inputs, such as fuzz testing (fuzzing), robustness testing, and fault injection. The software's operation may slow down, but it should not become unstable, crash, or generate incorrect results.

    Automated Dynamic Analysis
    Use tools that are integrated during compilation to insert runtime error-checking mechanisms related to memory safety errors, such as AddressSanitizer (ASan) for C/C++ [REF-1518].

    Effectiveness: Moderate

    Note:Crafted inputs are necessary to reach the code containing the error, such as generated by fuzzers. Also, these tools may reduce performance, and they only report the error condition - not the original mistake that led to the error.

    Automated Static Analysis - Binary or Bytecode

    According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:

    Cost effective for partial coverage:
    • Binary / Bytecode Quality Analysis
    • Bytecode Weakness Analysis - including disassembler + source code weakness analysis
    • Binary Weakness Analysis - including disassembler + source code weakness analysis

    Effectiveness: SOAR Partial

    Manual Static Analysis - Binary or Bytecode

    According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:

    Cost effective for partial coverage:
    • Binary / Bytecode disassembler - then use manual analysis for vulnerabilities & anomalies

    Effectiveness: SOAR Partial

    Dynamic Analysis with Automated Results Interpretation

    According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:

    Cost effective for partial coverage:
    • Web Application Scanner
    • Web Services Scanner
    • Database Scanners

    Effectiveness: SOAR Partial

    Dynamic Analysis with Manual Results Interpretation

    According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:

    Cost effective for partial coverage:
    • Fuzz Tester
    • Framework-based Fuzzer

    Effectiveness: SOAR Partial

    Manual Static Analysis - Source Code

    According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:

    Cost effective for partial coverage:
    • Focused Manual Spotcheck - Focused manual analysis of source
    • Manual Source Code Review (not inspections)

    Effectiveness: SOAR Partial

    Automated Static Analysis - Source Code

    According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:

    Highly cost effective:
    • Source code Weakness Analyzer
    • Context-configured Source Code Weakness Analyzer
    Cost effective for partial coverage:
    • Source Code Quality Analyzer

    Effectiveness: High

    Architecture or Design Review

    According to SOAR [REF-1479], the following detection techniques may be useful:

    Highly cost effective:
    • Formal Methods / Correct-By-Construction
    Cost effective for partial coverage:
    • Inspection (IEEE 1028 standard) (can apply to requirements, design, source code, etc.)

    Effectiveness: High
    + Functional Areas
    • Memory Management
    + Affected Resources
    • Memory
    + Memberships
    Section HelpThis MemberOf Relationships table shows additional CWE Categories and Views that reference this weakness as a member. This information is often useful in understanding where a weakness fits within the context of external information sources.
    Nature Type ID Name
    MemberOf ViewView - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). 635 Weaknesses Originally Used by NVD from 2008 to 2016
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 726 OWASP Top Ten 2004 Category A5 - Buffer Overflows
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 740 CERT C Secure Coding Standard (2008) Chapter 7 - Arrays (ARR)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 741 CERT C Secure Coding Standard (2008) Chapter 8 - Characters and Strings (STR)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 742 CERT C Secure Coding Standard (2008) Chapter 9 - Memory Management (MEM)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 743 CERT C Secure Coding Standard (2008) Chapter 10 - Input Output (FIO)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 744 CERT C Secure Coding Standard (2008) Chapter 11 - Environment (ENV)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 752 2009 Top 25 - Risky Resource Management
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 874 CERT C++ Secure Coding Section 06 - Arrays and the STL (ARR)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 875 CERT C++ Secure Coding Section 07 - Characters and Strings (STR)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 876 CERT C++ Secure Coding Section 08 - Memory Management (MEM)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 877 CERT C++ Secure Coding Section 09 - Input Output (FIO)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 878 CERT C++ Secure Coding Section 10 - Environment (ENV)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 970 SFP Secondary Cluster: Faulty Buffer Access
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 1157 SEI CERT C Coding Standard - Guidelines 03. Expressions (EXP)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 1160 SEI CERT C Coding Standard - Guidelines 06. Arrays (ARR)
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 1161 SEI CERT C Coding Standard - Guidelines 07. Characters and Strings (STR)
    MemberOf ViewView - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). 1200 Weaknesses in the 2019 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Errors
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 1306 CISQ Quality Measures - Reliability
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 1308 CISQ Quality Measures - Security
    MemberOf ViewView - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). 1337 Weaknesses in the 2021 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses
    MemberOf ViewView - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). 1340 CISQ Data Protection Measures
    MemberOf ViewView - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). 1350 Weaknesses in the 2020 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses
    MemberOf ViewView - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). 1387 Weaknesses in the 2022 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses
    MemberOf CategoryCategory - a CWE entry that contains a set of other entries that share a common characteristic. 1399 Comprehensive Categorization: Memory Safety
    MemberOf ViewView - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). 1425 Weaknesses in the 2023 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses
    MemberOf ViewView - a subset of CWE entries that provides a way of examining CWE content. The two main view structures are Slices (flat lists) and Graphs (containing relationships between entries). 1430 Weaknesses in the 2024 CWE Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Weaknesses
    + Vulnerability Mapping Notes
    Usage DISCOURAGED
    (this CWE ID should not be used to map to real-world vulnerabilities)
    Reason Frequent Misuse

    Rationale

    		CWE-119 is commonly misused in low-information vulnerability reports when lower-level CWEs could be used instead, or when more details about the vulnerability are available.

    Comments

    		Look at CWE-119's children and consider mapping to CWEs such as CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, or others.
    + Notes

    Applicable Platform

    It is possible in any programming languages without memory management support to attempt an operation outside of the bounds of a memory buffer, but the consequences will vary widely depending on the language, platform, and chip architecture.

    + Taxonomy Mappings
    Mapped Taxonomy Name Node ID Fit Mapped Node Name
    OWASP Top Ten 2004 A5 Exact Buffer Overflows
    CERT C Secure Coding ARR00-C Understand how arrays work
    CERT C Secure Coding ARR30-C CWE More Abstract Do not form or use out-of-bounds pointers or array subscripts
    CERT C Secure Coding ARR38-C CWE More Abstract Guarantee that library functions do not form invalid pointers
    CERT C Secure Coding ENV01-C Do not make assumptions about the size of an environment variable
    CERT C Secure Coding EXP39-C Imprecise Do not access a variable through a pointer of an incompatible type
    CERT C Secure Coding FIO37-C Do not assume character data has been read
    CERT C Secure Coding STR31-C CWE More Abstract Guarantee that storage for strings has sufficient space for character data and the null terminator
    CERT C Secure Coding STR32-C CWE More Abstract Do not pass a non-null-terminated character sequence to a library function that expects a string
    WASC 7 Buffer Overflow
    Software Fault Patterns SFP8 Faulty Buffer Access
    + References
    [REF-1029] Aleph One. "Smashing The Stack For Fun And Profit". Phrack. 1996-11-08.
    <https://phrack.org/issues/49/14.html>.
    [REF-7] Michael Howard and David LeBlanc. "Writing Secure Code". Chapter 5, "Public Enemy #1: The Buffer Overrun" Page 127; Chapter 14, "Prevent I18N Buffer Overruns" Page 441. 2nd Edition. Microsoft Press. 2002-12-04.
    <https://www.microsoftpressstore.com/store/writing-secure-code-9780735617223>.
    [REF-56] Microsoft. "Using the Strsafe.h Functions".
    <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/menurc/strsafe-ovw?redirectedfrom=MSDN>. (URL validated: 2023-04-07)
    [REF-57] Matt Messier and John Viega. "Safe C String Library v1.0.3".
    <http://www.gnu-darwin.org/www001/ports-1.5a-CURRENT/devel/safestr/work/safestr-1.0.3/doc/safestr.html>. (URL validated: 2023-04-07)
    [REF-58] Michael Howard. "Address Space Layout Randomization in Windows Vista".
    <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/michael_howard/address-space-layout-randomization-in-windows-vista>. (URL validated: 2023-04-07)
    [REF-59] Arjan van de Ven. "Limiting buffer overflows with ExecShield".
    <https://archive.is/saAFo>. (URL validated: 2023-04-07)
    [REF-60] "PaX".
    <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executable_space_protection#PaX>. (URL validated: 2023-04-07)
    [REF-61] Microsoft. "Understanding DEP as a mitigation technology part 1".
    <https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2009/06/understanding-dep-as-a-mitigation-technology-part-1/>. (URL validated: 2023-04-07)
    [REF-62] Mark Dowd, John McDonald and Justin Schuh. "The Art of Software Security Assessment". Chapter 5, "Memory Corruption", Page 167. 1st Edition. Addison Wesley. 2006.
    [REF-64] Grant Murphy. "Position Independent Executables (PIE)". Red Hat. 2012-11-28.
    <https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/position-independent-executables-pie>. (URL validated: 2023-04-07)
    [REF-1332] John Richard Moser. "Prelink and address space randomization". 2006-07-05.
    <https://lwn.net/Articles/190139/>. (URL validated: 2023-04-26)
    [REF-1333] Dmitry Evtyushkin, Dmitry Ponomarev, Nael Abu-Ghazaleh. "Jump Over ASLR: Attacking Branch Predictors to Bypass ASLR". 2016.
    <http://www.cs.ucr.edu/~nael/pubs/micro16.pdf>. (URL validated: 2023-04-26)
    [REF-1334] D3FEND. "Stack Frame Canary Validation (D3-SFCV)". 2023.
    <https://d3fend.mitre.org/technique/d3f:StackFrameCanaryValidation/>. (URL validated: 2023-04-26)
    [REF-1335] D3FEND. "Segment Address Offset Randomization (D3-SAOR)". 2023.
    <https://d3fend.mitre.org/technique/d3f:SegmentAddressOffsetRandomization/>. (URL validated: 2023-04-26)
    [REF-1336] D3FEND. "Process Segment Execution Prevention (D3-PSEP)". 2023.
    <https://d3fend.mitre.org/technique/d3f:ProcessSegmentExecutionPrevention/>. (URL validated: 2023-04-26)
    [REF-1337] Alexander Sotirov and Mark Dowd. "Bypassing Browser Memory Protections: Setting back browser security by 10 years". Memory information leaks. 2008.
    <https://www.blackhat.com/presentations/bh-usa-08/Sotirov_Dowd/bh08-sotirov-dowd.pdf>. (URL validated: 2023-04-26)
    [REF-1477] Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. "Secure by Design Alert: Eliminating Buffer Overflow Vulnerabilities". 2025-02-12.
    <https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/secure-design-alert-eliminating-buffer-overflow-vulnerabilities>. (URL validated: 2025-07-18)
    [REF-1479] Gregory Larsen, E. Kenneth Hong Fong, David A. Wheeler and Rama S. Moorthy. "State-of-the-Art Resources (SOAR) for Software Vulnerability Detection, Test, and Evaluation". 2014-07.
    <https://www.ida.org/-/media/feature/publications/s/st/stateoftheart-resources-soar-for-software-vulnerability-detection-test-and-evaluation/p-5061.ashx>. (URL validated: 2025-09-05)
    [REF-1518] "AddressSanitizer".
    <https://clang.llvm.org/docs/AddressSanitizer.html>. (URL validated: 2025-12-10)
    + Content History
    + Submissions
    Submission Date Submitter Organization
    2006-07-19
    (CWE Draft 3, 2006-07-19)     		PLOVER
    + Contributions
    Contribution Date Contributor Organization
    2024-02-29
    (CWE 4.15, 2024-07-16)     		Abhi Balakrishnan
    Provided diagram to improve CWE usability
    + Modifications
    Modification Date Modifier Organization
    2025-12-11
    (CWE 4.19, 2025-12-11)     		CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Applicable_Platforms, Detection_Factors, References, Weakness_Ordinalities
    2025-09-09
    (CWE 4.18, 2025-09-09)     		CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Demonstrative_Examples, Detection_Factors, Functional_Areas, References
    2025-04-03
    (CWE 4.17, 2025-04-03)     		CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2024-11-19
    (CWE 4.16, 2024-11-19)     		CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Description, Relationships
    2024-07-16
    (CWE 4.15, 2024-07-16)     		CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Alternate_Terms, Background_Details, Common_Consequences, Description, Diagram
    2023-06-29 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Mapping_Notes, Relationships
    2023-04-27 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Potential_Mitigations, References, Relationships, Time_of_Introduction
    2023-01-31 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Alternate_Terms, Description
    2022-10-13 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
    2022-06-28 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Observed_Examples, Relationships
    2021-07-20 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Demonstrative_Examples, Observed_Examples, Potential_Mitigations, Relationships
    2020-12-10 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Alternate_Terms, Observed_Examples, Relationships
    2020-08-20 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Alternate_Terms, Relationships
    2020-06-25 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2020-02-24 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings, Time_of_Introduction
    2019-09-19 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated References, Relationships
    2019-06-20 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Related_Attack_Patterns, Relationships
    2019-01-03 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2018-03-27 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated References
    2017-11-08 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Applicable_Platforms, Common_Consequences, Demonstrative_Examples, Observed_Examples, References, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
    2017-05-03 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2017-01-19 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2015-12-07 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2014-07-30 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Detection_Factors, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
    2014-02-18 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Potential_Mitigations, References
    2013-02-21 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Demonstrative_Examples
    2012-10-30 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Potential_Mitigations
    2012-05-11 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Demonstrative_Examples, Potential_Mitigations, References, Relationships
    2011-09-13 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
    2011-06-01 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Common_Consequences, Relationships
    2011-03-29 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2010-12-13 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Name
    2010-09-27 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Potential_Mitigations, Relationships
    2010-06-21 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Potential_Mitigations
    2010-02-16 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Alternate_Terms, Applicable_Platforms, Demonstrative_Examples, Detection_Factors, Potential_Mitigations, References, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
    2009-12-28 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Common_Consequences, Demonstrative_Examples, Detection_Factors, Observed_Examples
    2009-10-29 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Applicable_Platforms, Common_Consequences, Demonstrative_Examples, Description, Relationships, Time_of_Introduction
    2009-07-27 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Observed_Examples
    2009-05-27 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Demonstrative_Examples
    2009-03-10 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Potential_Mitigations
    2009-01-12 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Applicable_Platforms, Common_Consequences, Demonstrative_Examples, Likelihood_of_Exploit, Name, Potential_Mitigations, References, Relationships
    2008-11-24 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
    2008-10-14 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Relationships
    2008-09-08 CWE Content Team MITRE
    updated Description, Relationships, Taxonomy_Mappings
    2008-08-15 Veracode
    Suggested OWASP Top Ten 2004 mapping
    2008-07-01 Eric Dalci Cigital
    updated Time_of_Introduction
    + Previous Entry Names
    Change Date Previous Entry Name
    2008-04-11 Buffer Errors
    2009-01-12 Failure to Constrain Operations within the Bounds of an Allocated Memory Buffer
    2010-12-13 Failure to Constrain Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
    Page Last Updated: January 21, 2026