Comprehensive Categorization: Improper Neutralization

A category in the Common Weakness Enumeration published by The MITRE Corporation.


Summary

Categories in the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) group entries based on some common characteristic or attribute.

Weaknesses in this category are related to improper neutralization.

Weaknesses

Addition of Data Structure Sentinel

The accidental addition of a data-structure sentinel can cause serious programming logic problems.

Deletion of Data Structure Sentinel

The accidental deletion of a data-structure sentinel can cause serious programming logic problems.

Double Decoding of the Same Data

The product decodes the same input twice, which can limit the effectiveness of any protection mechanism that occurs in between the decoding operations.

Encoding Error

The product does not properly encode or decode the data, resulting in unexpected values.

Failure to Handle Incomplete Element

The product does not properly handle when a particular element is not completely specified.

Failure to Handle Missing Parameter

If too few arguments are sent to a function, the function will still pop the expected number of arguments from the stack. Potentially, a variable number of arguments c...

Failure to Sanitize Paired Delimiters

The product does not properly handle the characters that are used to mark the beginning and ending of a group of entities, such as parentheses, brackets, and braces.

Improper Encoding or Escaping of Output

The product prepares a structured message for communication with another component, but encoding or escaping of the data is either missing or done incorrectly. As a re...

Improper Filtering of Special Elements

The product receives data from an upstream component, but does not filter or incorrectly filters special elements before sending it to a downstream component.

Improper Handling of Additional Special Element

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not handle or incorrectly handles when an additional unexpected special element is provided.

Improper Handling of Alternate Encoding

The product does not properly handle when an input uses an alternate encoding that is valid for the control sphere to which the input is being sent.

Improper Handling of Extra Parameters

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when the number of parameters, fields, or arguments with the same name exceeds the expected amount.

Improper Handling of Extra Values

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when more values are provided than expected.

Improper Handling of Incomplete Structural Elements

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when a particular structural element is not completely specified.

Improper Handling of Inconsistent Special Elements

The product does not properly handle input in which an inconsistency exists between two or more special characters or reserved words.

Improper Handling of Inconsistent Structural Elements

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when two or more structural elements should be consistent, but are not.

Improper Handling of Invalid Use of Special Elements

The product does not properly filter, remove, quote, or otherwise manage the invalid use of special elements in user-controlled input, which could cause adverse effect...

Improper Handling of Length Parameter Inconsistency

The product parses a formatted message or structure, but it does not handle or incorrectly handles a length field that is inconsistent with the actual length of the as...

Improper Handling of Missing Special Element

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not handle or incorrectly handles when an expected special element is missing.

Improper Handling of Missing Values

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when a parameter, field, or argument name is specified, but the associated value is missing, i.e. it is empty, blank...

Improper Handling of Mixed Encoding

The product does not properly handle when the same input uses several different (mixed) encodings.

Improper Handling of Parameters

The product does not properly handle when the expected number of parameters, fields, or arguments is not provided in input, or if those parameters are undefined.

Improper Handling of Structural Elements

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles inputs that are related to complex structures.

Improper Handling of Syntactically Invalid Structure

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles input that is not syntactically well-formed with respect to the associated specification.

Improper Handling of Undefined Parameters

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when a particular parameter, field, or argument name is not defined or supported by the product.

Improper Handling of Undefined Values

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when a value is not defined or supported for the associated parameter, field, or argument name.

Improper Handling of Unexpected Data Type

The product does not handle or incorrectly handles when a particular element is not the expected type, e.g. it expects a digit (0-9) but is provided with a letter (A-Z).

Improper Handling of Unicode Encoding

The product does not properly handle when an input contains Unicode encoding.

Improper Handling of URL Encoding (Hex Encoding)

The product does not properly handle when all or part of an input has been URL encoded.

Improper Handling of Values

The product does not properly handle when the expected number of values for parameters, fields, or arguments is not provided in input, or if those values are undefined.

Improper Neutralization

The product does not ensure or incorrectly ensures that structured messages or data are well-formed and that certain security properties are met before being read from...

Improper Neutralization of Comment Delimiters

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as comment deli...

Improper Neutralization of Delimiters

The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes delimiters.

Improper Neutralization of Escape, Meta, or Control Sequences

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as escape, meta...

Improper Neutralization of Expression/Command Delimiters

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as expression o...

Improper Neutralization of HTTP Headers for Scripting Syntax

The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes web scripting syntax in HTTP headers that can be used by web browser components that can process raw headers...

Improper Neutralization of Input Leaders

The product does not properly handle when a leading character or sequence ("leader") is missing or malformed, or if multiple leaders are used when only one should be a...

Improper Neutralization of Input Terminators

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as input termin...

Improper Neutralization of Internal Special Elements

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes internal special elements that could be interpreted in une...

Improper Neutralization of Leading Special Elements

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes leading special elements that could be interpreted in unex...

Improper Neutralization of Line Delimiters

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as line delimit...

Improper Neutralization of Macro Symbols

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as macro symbol...

Improper Neutralization of Multiple Internal Special Elements

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes multiple internal special elements that could be interpret...

Improper Neutralization of Multiple Leading Special Elements

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes multiple leading special elements that could be interprete...

Improper Neutralization of Multiple Trailing Special Elements

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes multiple trailing special elements that could be interpret...

Improper Neutralization of Null Byte or NUL Character

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes NUL characters or null bytes when they are sent to a downs...

Improper Neutralization of Parameter/Argument Delimiters

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as parameter or...

Improper Neutralization of Quoting Syntax

Quotes injected into a product can be used to compromise a system. As data are parsed, an injected/absent/duplicate/malformed use of quotes may cause the process to ta...

Improper Neutralization of Record Delimiters

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as record delim...

Improper Neutralization of Section Delimiters

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as section deli...

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as control elem...

Improper Neutralization of Substitution Characters

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as substitution...

Improper Neutralization of Trailing Special Elements

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes trailing special elements that could be interpreted in une...

Improper Neutralization of Value Delimiters

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as value delimi...

Improper Neutralization of Variable Name Delimiters

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as variable nam...

Improper Neutralization of Whitespace

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as whitespace w...

Improper Neutralization of Wildcards or Matching Symbols

The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could be interpreted as wildcards or...

Improper Null Termination

The product does not terminate or incorrectly terminates a string or array with a null character or equivalent terminator.

Improper Output Neutralization for Logs

The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes output that is written to logs.

Inappropriate Encoding for Output Context

The product uses or specifies an encoding when generating output to a downstream component, but the specified encoding is not the same as the encoding that is expected...

Incomplete Filtering of Multiple Instances of Special Elements

The product receives data from an upstream component, but does not filter all instances of a special element before sending it to a downstream component.

Incomplete Filtering of One or More Instances of Special Elements

The product receives data from an upstream component, but does not completely filter one or more instances of special elements before sending it to a downstream compon...

Incomplete Filtering of Special Elements

The product receives data from an upstream component, but does not completely filter special elements before sending it to a downstream component.

Null Byte Interaction Error (Poison Null Byte)

The product does not properly handle null bytes or NUL characters when passing data between different representations or components.

Only Filtering One Instance of a Special Element

The product receives data from an upstream component, but only filters a single instance of a special element before sending it to a downstream component.

Only Filtering Special Elements at a Specified Location

The product receives data from an upstream component, but only accounts for special elements at a specified location, thereby missing remaining special elements that m...

Only Filtering Special Elements at an Absolute Position

The product receives data from an upstream component, but only accounts for special elements at an absolute position (e.g. "byte number 10"), thereby missing remaining...

Only Filtering Special Elements Relative to a Marker

The product receives data from an upstream component, but only accounts for special elements positioned relative to a marker (e.g. "at the beginning/end of a string; t...

Concepts

Comprehensive Categorization for Software Assurance Trends

This view organizes weaknesses around categories that are of interest to large-scale software assurance research to support the elimination of weaknesses using ta...

See Also

  1. CVE --> CWE Mapping Guidance - Quick Tips

    MITRE


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